Preface

When I began this Translation, more than two years ago, I had no intention of publishing it; but as the work progressed, it occurred to me that Arrian is an Author deserving of more attention from the English-speaking races than he has yet received. No edition of his works has, so far as I am aware, ever appeared in England, though on the Continent many have been published. In the following Translation I have tried to give as literal a rendering of the Greek text as I could without transgressing the idioms of our own language. My theory of the duty of a Translator is, to give the ipsissima verba of his Author as nearly as possible, and not put into his mouth words which he never used, under the mistaken notion of improving his diction or his way of stating his case. It is a comparatively easy thing to give a paraphrase of a foreign work, presenting the general drift of the original; but no one, unless he has himself tried it, can understand the difficulty of translating a classical Author correctly without omission or mutilation.

When I began this translation more than two years ago, I had no intention of publishing it. But as the work progressed, I realized that Arrian deserves more attention from English-speaking people than he has received. As far as I know, no edition of his works has ever appeared in England. Yet many have been published on the Continent. In this translation, I have tried to render the Greek text as literally as possible without violating English usage. I believe a translator’s duty is to give the author’s ipsissima verba as nearly as possible. A translator should not put words into the author’s mouth under the mistaken idea of improving the author’s style or argument. It is relatively easy to paraphrase a foreign work and convey the general sense of the original. But only someone who has tried it can understand how difficult it is to translate a classical author accurately, without omitting or distorting anything.

In the Commentary which I have compiled, continual reference has been made to the other extant authorities on the history of Alexander, such as Diodorus, Plutarch, Curtius, Justin, and Aelian; so that I think I may safely assert that, taking the Translation and the Notes together, the book forms a complete history of Alexander’s reign. Much geographical and other material has also been gathered from Herodotus, Strabo, Pliny, and Ammianus; and the allusions to the places which are also mentioned in the Old Testament are given from the Hebrew.

In my Commentary, I have frequently referred to other surviving sources on Alexander’s history. These include Diodorus, Plutarch, Curtius, Justin, and Aelian. So I think I can safely say that the Translation and Notes together provide a complete history of Alexander’s reign. I have also gathered much geographical and other material from Herodotus, Strabo, Pliny, and Ammianus. References to places also mentioned in the Old Testament are given from the Hebrew.

As Arrian lived in the second century of the present era, and nearly five hundred years after Demosthenes, it is not to be expected that he wrote classical Greek. There are, however, at least a dozen valuable Greek authors of this century whose works are still extant, and of these it is a safe statement to make, that Arrian is the best of them all, with the single exception of Lucian. I have noticed as many of his deviations from Attic Greek constructions as I thought suitable to a work of this kind. A complete index of Proper Names has been added, and the quantities of the vowels marked for the aid of the English Reader. In the multiplicity of references which I have put into the Notes, I should be sanguine if I imagined that no errors will be found; but if such occur, I must plead as an excuse the pressure of work which a teacher in a large school experiences, leaving him very little energy for literary labour.

Arrian lived in the second century of the present era, nearly five hundred years after Demosthenes. So we should not expect him to have written classical Greek. However, the works of at least a dozen valuable Greek authors from that century still survive. It is safe to say that Arrian is the best of them all, with the sole exception of Lucian. I have noted as many of his departures from Attic Greek constructions as I thought appropriate for a work like this. I have added a complete index of proper names, marking vowel lengths to help English readers. I have included many references in the Notes. I would be overly optimistic to imagine that none contain errors. But if errors do occur, I must plead as an excuse the demands of teaching at a large school. These leave me with very little energy for literary work.

E. J. C.

E. J. C.