Arrian's Anabasis : An Intellectual and Cultural Story

Bogdan Burliga has written a very interesting study on one of the most important historical sources that has come down to us from Antiquity. The book under review is not, however, yet another historical study on Alexander the Great. Arrian was first and foremost was known as a Stoic philosopher, a disciple of Epictetus, and was regarded as such in Antiquity, not only by his contemporaries, but by succeeding generations of his readership. Burliga draws the logical conclusion that the Anabasis goes beyond the bounds of a mere historical narrative. The Anabasis, although formally a historical narrative, is a serious (Stoic) reflection upon the possession and exercise of power, and the fragility or insignificance of human efforts to retain prestige, fame and glory. This constitutes a new, refreshing view on the meaning of the Anabasis, a work which by no means should be taken as a panegyric to Alexander and his deeds. The book displays the author's masterly command of the secondary literature, including those of older vintage, yet still worth consulting. It is a work which requires some previous knowledge of the topic, but at the same time it remains exceptionally inspiring work, shedding new light on a topic which might have seemed to be already fully exploited.