APPIAN (Gr. 'Aairtavbs)  , of Alexandria, Roman historian, flourished during the reigns of Trajan, Hadrian and Antoninus Pius . He tells us that, after having filled the chief offices in his native place, he repaired to Rome, where he practised as an advocate . When advanced in years, he obtained, by the good offices of his friend Fronto, the dignity of imperial procurator—it is supposed in Egypt . His work (`Pw,uatKh) in twenty-four books, written in Greek, is rather a number of monographs than a connected history . It gives an account of various peoples and countries from the earliest times down to their incorporation into the Roman empire . Besides a preface, there are extant eleven complete books and considerable fragments . In spite of its unattractive style, the work is very valuable, especially for the period of the civil wars . Editio princeps, 1551; Schweighauser, 1785; Bekker, 1852; Mendelssohn, 1878-1905 . English translations: by W . B., 1578 (black letter); J . D[avies], 1679; H . White, 1899 (Bohn's Classical Library) ; bk. i. ed. by J .

L .

Strachan-Davidson, 1902 .