ARRIAN (’Apptavôç), a distinguished Greek historian and philosopher, who lived in the time of the Emperors Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. He was a native of Nicomedia, born about the end of the 1st century of our era, and was one of the most distinguished disciples of the famous Epictetus. In 124 A.D. he lived at Athens, where he made^the acquaintance of the Emperor Hadrian, who was so much struck with his practical wisdom as to raise him to several high offices; and under Antoninus he obtained even the consulship. The only other event of his life of which we know anything is, that he was appointed governor of Cappadocia, and in that capacity distinguished himself by the victory he gained over the Alani. Arrian proudly disdained to give any information regarding himself; and his life, written by Dion Cassius, is lost. History and philosophy are greatly indebted to Arrian; for, being a disciple of Epictetus, who himself did not write any work, Arrian determined to be to him what Xenophon had been to Socrates, and published his philosophical lectures in eight books, of which only the first half is extant; but the portion which has come down to us gives us a most exalted view of the ethical philosophy of Epictetus and the Stoics generally. The work bears the title ∆ιατpι∕2αι , ΕτrLκτητoυ, and is contained in Schweig-häuser’s Philosophiae Epicteteoe Monumenta, vol. iii. A second work, by which Arrian testified his attachment to his great master, bears the title ’ Eγχ∈ψiδιoF Έττικτγτου, a short manual of moral philosophy, compiled from the lectures of Epictetus, which for many centuries was regarded both by Pagans and Christians as the best book on the subject. It has been published in a great many editions; the best ...