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{{short description|2nd century AD work by Arrian of Nicomedia}}
{{italic title}}
[[File:Macedonian Army Thessalian.jpg|thumb|Cavalryman on the [[Alexander Sarcophagus]] from [[Sidon]], [[Lebanon]]]]
{{Alexander the Great series}}
'''''The Anabasis of Alexander''''' ({{lang-grc-gre|Ἀλεξάνδρου Ἀνάβασις}}, ''Alexándrou Anábasis''; {{lang-la|Anabasis Alexandri}}) was composed by [[Arrian]] of [[Nicomedia]] in the [[2nd century|second century AD]], most probably during the reign of [[Hadrian]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Arrian of Nicomedia|last=Stadter|first=Philip|publisher=University of North Carolina|year=1980|location=Chapel Hill|pages=60–114}}</ref> The ''[[anabasis (disambiguation)|Anabasis]]'' (which survives complete in seven books) is a [[Greek historiography|history]] of the [[campaigns of Alexander|campaigns]] of [[Alexander the Great]], specifically his conquest of the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian Empire]] between 336 and 323 BC.<ref name="Hammond2013xii">{{cite book|author1=Arrian|translator1=Martin Hammond |translator2=John Atkinson (Translator)|title=Alexander the Great: The Anabasis and the Indica|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2hdHI2Gd0HwC |year=2013|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-958724-7|pages=xi–xiv}}</ref> Both the unusual title "Anabasis" (literally "a journey up-country from the sea") and the work's seven-book structure reflect Arrian's emulation (in structure, style, and content) of the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] historian [[Xenophon]], whose own ''[[Anabasis (Xenophon)|Anabasis]]'' in seven books concerned the earlier campaign "up-country" of [[Cyrus the Younger]] in 401 BC.

The ''Anabasis'' is by far the fullest surviving account of [[Alexander the Great|Alexander]]'s conquest of the Persian empire. It is primarily a military history, reflecting the content of Arrian's model, Xenophon's [[Anabasis (Xenophon)|Anabasis]]; the work begins with Alexander's accession to the [[Ancient Macedonians|Macedonian]] throne in 336 BC, and has nothing to say about Alexander's early life (in contrast, say, to [[Plutarch]]'s ''Life of Alexander''). Nor does Arrian aim to provide a complete history of the Greek-speaking world during Alexander's reign. Arrian's chief sources in writing the ''Anabasis'' were the lost contemporary histories of the campaign by [[Ptolemy I of Egypt|Ptolemy]] and [[Aristobulus of Cassandreia|Aristobulus]] and, for his later books, [[Nearchus]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=A Historical Commentary on Arrian's History of Alexander, Vol 1|last=Bosworth|first=A.B.|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1980|location=Oxford|pages=1–38}}</ref> One of Arrian's main aims in writing his history seems to have been to correct the standard "Vulgate" narrative of Alexander's reign that was current in his own day, primarily associated with the lost writings of the historian [[Cleitarchus]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=From Arrian to Alexander|last=Bosworth|first=A.B.|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1988|location=Oxford|pages=1–37}}</ref>

==Content==
[[File:Arrianou_peri_anabaseos.tif|left|thumb|''Alexandri anabasis'', 1575]]
The ''Anabasis'' gives a broadly chronological account of the reign of [[Alexander the Great]] of [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedon]] (336–323 BC), with a particular focus on military matters. After a short Preface concerning Arrian's sources, the seven books describe the reign of Alexander the Great.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Anabasis_of_Alexander|title=The Anabasis of Alexander|last=Arrian}}</ref>

'''Book 1'''

This book covers the early years of Alexander's reign (336–334 BC), including notable descriptions of Alexander's sack of [[Thebes, Greece|Thebes]] in 335 and the [[battle of the Granicus]] in summer 334 BC.

'''Book 2'''

The majority of this book is dominated by three large set-piece military operations: the campaign and [[battle of Issus]] (333 BC) and the sieges of [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]] and [[Gaza City|Gaza]] (332 BC). This book also recounts the defeat of King Darius of Persia and how Alexander treated Darius's family after his death. The trial of the Gordian Knot is also included in this book.

[[File:Arrian.png|thumb|right|Arrian of Nicomedia]]
'''Book 3'''

Book three begins with an account of Alexander in [[Egypt]], including his visit to the [[oracle of Zeus-Ammon]] at [[Siwa Oasis|Siwah]] (winter 332/331 BC), before turning to the battle of [[Battle of Gaugamela|Gaugamela]] and defeat of [[Darius III]] (331 BC). The latter half of the book describes Alexander's pursuit of Darius through northern Iran, the revolt of the pretender [[Bessus]], and the deaths of [[Philotas]] and [[Parmenion]] (331–329 BC).

'''Book 4'''

This book begins with describing the long [[Sogdia]]n campaign of 329–327 BC against [[Bessus]], [[Spitamenes]], and [[Oxyartes]], and the early stages of the [[Indian campaign of Alexander the Great|campaigns in the Punjab]] (327–326 BC), with a notable departure from chronological sequence at 4.7–14, where Arrian collects many of the most notorious stories tending to Alexander's discredit in a single apologetic digression (the killing of [[Cleitus the Black|Cleitus]], the [[proskynesis]] affair, the pages' conspiracy and the death of [[Callisthenes]]).

'''Book 5'''

This book continues the narrative of the [[Indian campaign of Alexander the Great]] of 326 BC, including Alexander's arrival at Nysa, the battle with [[Porus the Elder|Porus]] at the [[Hydaspes]] river, and the decision at the [[Beas River|Hyphasis]] not to push on further into [[India]].

'''Book 6'''

The journey down the [[Indus River|Indus]] to the [[Indian Ocean]] (326–325 BC) is described, including the increasingly brutal violence inflicted on the local inhabitants by the Macedonians ''en route'' (notably at the Malli town), and the crossing of the [[Gedrosia]]n Desert (325–324 BC).

'''Book 7'''

The last of the books recounts the events of Alexander's final year, including the [[Susa]] marriages, the Opis mutiny, the multiple predictions and omens of Alexander's own death, the death of [[Hephaestion]], and Alexander's own death (324–323 BC). The very end of this book concludes with speculation about how Alexander died, and whether it was by poisoning or something else.

== Criticism ==
Arrian's ''Anabasis'' has traditionally been regarded as the most reliable extant narrative source for Alexander's campaigns. Since the 1970s, however, a more critical view of Arrian has become widespread, due largely to the work of A. B. Bosworth, who has drawn scholars' attention to Arrian's tendency to [[hagiography]] and [[apologia]], not to mention several passages where Arrian can be shown (by comparison with other ancient sources) to be downright misleading.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Alexander and the East: The Tragedy of Triumph|last=Bosworth|first=A.B.|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1996|isbn=978-0198149910|location=Oxford|pages=[https://archive.org/details/alexandereasttra00bosw_0/page/31 31–65]|url=https://archive.org/details/alexandereasttra00bosw_0/page/31}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bosworth|first=A. B.|date=1976-01-01|title=Errors in Arrian|jstor=638409|journal=The Classical Quarterly|volume=26|issue=1|pages=117–139|doi=10.1017/S0009838800033905 |s2cid=170453455 }}</ref>

==Modern editions==

The only complete English translation of Arrian available online is a rather antiquated translation by E.J. Chinnock, published in 1884.<ref name=":0" /> The original Greek text used by the [[Perseus Tufts|Perseus Digital Library]] is the standard [[A.G. Roos]] [[Bibliotheca Teubneriana|Teubner edition]] published at [[Leipzig#20th century|Leipzig]] in 1907.<ref>Arrian. A.G. Roos – [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0530 Anabasis] Tufts University and Leipzig University [Retrieved 2015-05-07]</ref>

Probably the most widely used scholarly English translation is [[Loeb Classical Library |Loeb Classical Library edition]] (with facing Greek text), in two volumes.<ref>P. A. Brunt, Arrian – [http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674992603 Anabasis of Alexander, Volume I] Loeb Classical Library 236 [Retrieved 2015-05-07]</ref> The work first appeared in 1929 and was later revised with a new introduction and appendices by [[Peter Brunt|P.A. Brunt]] in 1976.

An English translation by [[Aubrey de Sélincourt]] appeared in [[Penguin Classics]] in 1958. This edition was revised and annotated by J.R. Hamilton in 1971.<ref>{{cite book|author=Arrian|translator=Aubrey de Sélincourt|others=Revised, with a new introduction and notes by James R. Hamilton|title=The Campaigns of Alexander|year=1971|publisher=Penguin Books|publication-place=Harmondsworth}}</ref>

The ''Landmark Ancient Histories,'' edited by Robert B. Strassler, includes ''The Landmark Arrian: The Campaigns of Alexander,'' edited by James Romm (Professor of [[Classics]] at [[Bard College]], 2010), and translated by Pamela Mensch. The Landmark edition includes extensive margin notes and maps on every other page.<ref>Strassler, R.B. – [http://www.thelandmarkancienthistories.com/Arrian.htm the Landmark Ancient Histories] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324185837/http://www.thelandmarkancienthistories.com/Arrian.htm |date=2017-03-24 }}</ref>

A new translation by [[Martin Hammond]] with introduction and notes by John Atkinson appeared in the ''[[Oxford World's Classics]]'' series in 2013.<ref>Arrian, M Hammond, J Atkinson – [https://books.google.com/books?id=2hdHI2Gd0HwC&q=The+Anabasis+of+Alexander Alexander the Great: The Anabasis and the Indica] Oxford University Press, 2013 {{ISBN|0199587248}} [Retrieved 2015-05-07]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Arrian, ''Life of Alexander the Great'', translated by [[Aubrey de Sélincourt]], Harmondsworth, [[Penguin Books]], 1958 and numerous subsequent reprints.
* Arrian, ''The Campaigns of Alexander'', translated by [[P.A. Brunt]], with Greek and English text, edited by Jeffrey Henderson, The Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press. Books I–IV: {{ISBN|0-674-99260-1}} Books V–VII and Indica: {{ISBN|0-674-99297-0}}

== External links ==
{{Wikisource|The Anabasis of Alexander}}
{{Wikisourcelang|el|Αλεξάνδρου Ανάβασις}}
* Arrian, Anabasis Alexandri, [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102085353/http://www.soa.org.uk/public/downloads/pdf/A%20Ridge%20Too%20Far.pdf#search=%22%22later%20achaemenid%22%20arsames%22 (section 1.13–16) (pp. 18–19)], [[Battle of the Granicus]], from the [[Loeb Classical Library|Loeb]] edition.
* Arrian, Anabasis Alexandri, [https://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/alexander_t54.html (section 4.18.4–19.6)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504221409/http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/alexander_t54.html |date=2016-05-04 }}, [[Sogdian Rock]], translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt
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Anabasis Alexandri - Revision history

CleanupBot at 05:19, 24 November 2023