APPIAN
Appianos Alexandreus (Αππιανος Αλεξανδρευς).
Roman name: Appianus Alexandrinus.
Born about 95 in Alexandria, Egypt.
Died about 165 in Rome.
Wikipedia: English,
French.
Categories: Historical Works,
Autobiographical Texts,
Correspondence,
References.
HISTORICAL WORKS
Roman History (c. 160).
(Ρωμαικη Ιστορια | Rhōmaikē historia).
Greek: C. Stephanus (1551; books IV, VIII, IX fragment and XI–XVII);
• H. Stephanus (1557; books VI and VII);
• Ursinus (1582; fragments);
• H. Stephanus (1592; books IV, VI–VIII, IX fragment and XI–XVII);
• Hoeschelius (1582; book IX entire);
• Valesius (1634; new fragments);
• Tolius, vol. 1 and
vol. 2 (1670; revision of H. Stephanus);
• Schweighäuser, vol. 1.1,
vol. 1.2,
vol. 2.1,
vol. 2.2,
vol. 3.1 and
vol. 3.2 (1785);
• Teucher, vol. 1 and
vol. 2 (1796–1797);
• Tauchnitz, vol. 1,
vol. 2,
vol. 3 and
vol. 4 (1829);
• Dübner (1840);
• Bekker, vol. 1 and
vol. 2 (1852–1853);
• Mendelssohn, vol. 1 and
vol. 2 (1879–1881);
• Viereck-Roos, vol. 1 (1905, ed. 1962) and
Viereck, vol. 2 (1905, ed. 1986).
Latin: De civilibus Romanorum bellis (Petrus Candidus Decembrius, 1472; books IV, IX entire and XIII–XVII) and
Romanae historiae (Petrus Candidus Decembrius, 1472, ed. 1477; books VIII, XI and XII);
• Romanorum historiarum (Sigismundus Gelenius, 1554; books IV, VIII and XI–XVII; with book VI translated by Coelius Secundus Curio and book IX by Candidus).
English: An Ancient History and Exquisite Chronicle of the Roman Wars, Both Civil and Foreign (W. B., 1578; “translated out of diverse languages”);
• History (John Davies, 1679, ed. 1703);
• Civil Wars, I (Edward Benecke, 1894, ed. 1914; book XIII);
• Roman History, I–XII and
XIII–XVII (Horace White, 1899);
• First Loeb edition: Roman History, I–VIIIa and
VIIIb–XII (Horace White, revised by John Denniston, 1912, ed. 1964 and 1962),
XIII–XVa and
XVb–XVII (Horace White, revised by Ernest Robson, 1913, ed. 1964 and 1961);
• The Civil Wars (John Carter, 1996; books XIII–XVII);
• Wars of the Romans in Iberia (John Richardson, 2000; book VI);
• New Loeb edition: Roman History, I–VII, VIII–X, XI–XII, XIII–XIV, XV–XVI and XVII (Brian McGing, 2019–2020).
French: Des guerres des Romains (Claude de Seyssel, posthumous, 1544, ed. 1552; books IV, VIII, IX and XI–XVII; see also
1569, augmented edition with books VI and VII translated by Philippe des Avenelles);
• Des guerres des Romains (Odet Philippe, 1659; without books VI and VII);
• Histoire des guerres civiles de la République romaine, I–II,
III–IV and
V (Jean-Isaac Combes-Dounous, 1808; books XIII–XVII);
• Les guerres civiles à Rome, I (Jean-Isaac Combes-Dounous, revised by Catherine Voisin, 1993; book XIII), II (Jean-Isaac Combes-Dounous, revised by Philippe Torrens, 1994; book XIV), III (Philippe Torrens, 2000; book XV), IV (Philippe Torrens, 2008; book XVI) and V (Philippe Torrens, 2020; book XVII);
• Budé edition: Histoire romaine, I–V (Paul Goukowsky, 2020), VI (Paul Goukowsky, 1997), VII (Danièle Gaillard, 1998), VIII (Paul Goukowsky, 2001), IX (Paul Goukowsky, 2011), XI (Paul Goukowsky, 2007), XII (Paul Goukowsky, 2001), XIII (Paul Goukowsky, 2008), XIV (Paul Goukowsky, 2021), XV (Paul Goukowsky, 2010), XVI (Danièle Gaillard, 2015) and XVII (Maud Étienne-Duplessis, 2013).
• Preface.
(Προοιμιον | Prooimion).
Greek: Viereck-Roos.
English: Author’s Preface (White).
French: Préface (Philippe).
• Book I: The Kings (fragments).
(Ρωμαικων βασιλικη | Rhōmaikōn basilikē).
Greek: Viereck-Roos.
English: Concerning the Kings and
Concerning Remus and Romulus (White).
• Book II: Italy (fragments).
(Ρωμαικων Ιταλικη | Rhōmaikōn Italikē).
Greek: Viereck-Roos.
English: Concerning Italy (White).
• Book III: The Samnites (fragments).
(Ρωμαικων Σαυνιτικη | Rhōmaikōn Saunitikē).
Greek: Viereck-Roos.
English: The Samnite History (White).
• Book IV: The Celts (fragments).
(Ρωμαικων Κελτικη | Rhōmaikōn Keltikē).
Greek: Viereck-Roos.
English: The Gallic History (White).
French: Des guerres des Romains contre les Gaulois (Philippe).
• Book V: Sicily and the Other Islands (fragments).
(Ρωμαικων Σικελικη και νησιωτικη | Rhōmaikōn Sikelikē kai nēsiōtikē).
Greek: Viereck-Roos.
English: Of Sicily and the Other Islands (White).
• Book VI: Iberia (218–133 BCE).
(Ρωμαικων Ιβηρικη | Rhōmaikōn Ibērikē).
Greek: Viereck-Roos.
English: The Wars in Spain (White).
French: L’Ibérique, ou Espagnole (Avenelles).
• Book VII: Hannibal.
(Ρωμαικων Αννιβαικη | Rhōmaikōn Annibaikē).
Greek: Viereck-Roos.
English: The Hannibalic War (White).
French: L’Annibale (Avenelles).
• Book VIII: Carthage and Numidia (second part lost).
(Ρωμαικων Λιβυκη, Καρχηδονικη και Νομαδικη | Rhōmaikōn Libukē, Karkhēdonikē kai Nomadikē).
Greek: Viereck-Roos.
English: The Punic Wars and
Numidian Affairs (White).
French: Des guerres des Romains en Libye (Philippe).
• Book IX: Macedonia and Illyria (first part lost).
(Ρωμαικων Μακεδονικη και Ιλλυρικη | Rhōmaikōn Makedonikē kai Illurikē).
Greek: Viereck-Roos.
English: Macedonian Affairs and
The Illyrian Wars (White).
French: Des guerres des Romains en Illyrie (Philippe).
• Book X: Greece and Ionia (lost).
(Ρωμαικων Ελληνικη και Ιωνικη | Rhōmaikōn Hellēnikē kai Iōnikē).
• Book XI: Syria and Parthia (second part lost).
(Ρωμαικων Συριακη και Παρθικη | Rhōmaikōn Suriakē kai Parthikē).
Greek: Viereck-Roos.
English: The Syrian Wars (White).
French: Des guerres des Romains en Syrie and
contre les Parthes (Philippe).
• Book XII: Mithridates.
(Ρωμαικων Μιθριδατειος | Rhōmaikōn Mithridateios).
Greek: Viereck-Roos.
English: The Mithridatic Wars (White).
French: Des guerres des Romains contre Mithridate (Philippe).
• Book XIII: The Civil Wars, I (133–64 BCE).
(Ρωμαικων εμφυλιων Α’ | Rhōmaikōn emphuliōn I).
Greek: Viereck.
English: The Civil Wars, I (White).
French: Histoire des guerres civiles de la République romaine, I (Combes-Dounous).
• Book XIV: The Civil Wars, II (63–44 BCE).
(Ρωμαικων εμφυλιων Β’ | Rhōmaikōn emphuliōn II).
Greek: Viereck.
English: The Civil Wars, II (White).
French: Histoire des guerres civiles de la République romaine, II (Combes-Dounous).
• Book XV: The Civil Wars, III (44–43 BCE).
(Ρωμαικων εμφυλιων Γ’ | Rhōmaikōn emphuliōn III).
Greek: Viereck.
English: The Civil Wars, III (White).
French: Histoire des guerres civiles de la République romaine, III (Combes-Dounous).
• Book XVI: The Civil Wars, IV (43–42 BCE).
(Ρωμαικων εμφυλιων Δ’ | Rhōmaikōn emphuliōn IV).
Greek: Viereck.
English: The Civil Wars, IV (White).
French: Histoire des guerres civiles de la République romaine, IV (Combes-Dounous).
• Book XVII: The Civil Wars, V (42–35 BCE).
(Ρωμαικων εμφυλιων Ε’ | Rhōmaikōn emphuliōn V).
Greek: Viereck.
English: The Civil Wars, V (White).
French: Histoire des guerres civiles de la République romaine, V (Combes-Dounous).
• Book XVIII: Egypt, I (lost).
(Ρωμαικων Αιγυπτιακη Α’ | Rhōmaikōn Aiguptiakē I).
• Book XIX: Egypt, II (lost).
(Ρωμαικων Αιγυπτιακη Β’ | Rhōmaikōn Aiguptiakē II).
• Book XX: Egypt, III (lost).
(Ρωμαικων Αιγυπτιακη Γ’ | Rhōmaikōn Aiguptiakē III).
• Book XXI: Egypt, IV (lost).
(Ρωμαικων Αιγυπτιακη Δ’ | Rhōmaikōn Aiguptiakē IV).
• Book XXII: The Hundred Years (lost).
(Εκατονταετια | Hekatontaetia).
• Book XXIII: Dacia (lost).
(Δακικη | Dakikē).
• Book XXIV: Arabia (fragment).
(Αραβιος | Arabios).
Greek: Miller (1869).
English: Concerning the Divination of the Arabs (White).
French: Sur l’art de la divination chez les Arabes (Emmanuel Miller, in Revue archéologique, 1869).
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL TEXTS
Autobiography (lost).
Appian concludes the preface to his Roman History in these terms (given here in Horace White’s translation): “Who I am, who have written these things, many indeed know, and I have already indicated. To speak more plainly I am Appian of Alexandria, having reached the highest place in my native country, and having been, in Rome, a pleader of causes before the emperors, until they deemed me worthy of being made their procurator. And if any one has a great desire to learn more [about my affairs] there is a special treatise of mine on that subject.” This autobiography was probably lost early, as Photius, in the ninth century, only provides as information about Appian a paraphrase of the second sentence quoted above.
CORRESPONDENCE
Fronto to Antoninus Pius about Appian.
Latin: Haines (1919).
English: Fronto to Antoninus Pius Augustus (Charles Haines, 1919).
French: À Antoninus Pius Augustus, Fronto (Armand Cassan, 1830).
Appian to Fronto.
Greek: Haines (1919).
English: From Appianus to Fronto (Charles Haines, 1919).
Fronto’s Reply to Appian.
Greek: Haines (1919).
English: To Appian from Fronto (Charles Haines, 1919).
REFERENCES
Alain Gowing:
The Triumviral Narratives of Appian and Cassius Dio (1992).
English: 1992.
Kathryn Welch (editor):
Appian’s Roman History (2015).
Created on 8 January 2023. Updated on 3 February 2023.
