The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-27

their own tongue, they were brought out IN
a Latin garb. This happened 70 hpP'an' ne
found a translator in Peter Canoldus peoehi-
her who about the middle Of the hfteenth
century u4s2l. made a Latin version OF tnose
works which we're then ascribed 10 tpp'an'
This version vas frequently reprinted IRON,
the YEAR il7, onward, but the Greek text re-
NAMED unpublished until 1851 wneh 'he
greater part Of II was printed oy ,nar'es So-
phen at Paris. This so-csled 'd'no pr'n'fpS
did not contain the Spanish and hannioall'
books. which were published separately by
Henry Stephen In 1887. still later. the rag
ments that had been taken from the nrs' nine
books and thrown together in the Constan-
tirian collections began to see the llgh''
L.
| Mir. White. reasons for translating the
works Of Appian are, as he tells us IN
his preface, that they constitute an mas
pensa bic part of Roman history and That they
are not accessible in English. There have
been. il il true. two previous English TRANSACTIONS
Of Appian. more or less complete, but they
were made long ago and are not now obtain
| able, nor would they be readable II they wer.
The first was published in 1878 by mn anony-
nous writer signing himself ". b.: II Is In old
English black letter, and seems to have been
| translated. not directly from the Greek. bn'
from the Latin version of 'andidns' A Sac
ond English translation was published in 1879
by one John Davies. Whatever may he said
Of Davies's knowledge Of Cir eek, his use of
English was very bad. Neither OF these YER
sions was complete, the first emitting the Han
nibalic war and both lacking the Cons'an-
tinian extracts. In Mr.. Whites work, on the
other hand. We have everything that can be
traced 10 Appian. The mistakes. moreover.
in the text are corrected in foot notes and light
is thrown from other sources upon the sub
jects discussed
A biographical and critical estimate of Appian
will be found in the preface 10 this translation,
The paragraph in which Mr. White sums M all the
the extant information concerning the Greek
historian of Rome is a model Of conciseness All
that we know about Appian A. an individual
is CLEANED from his own writings and from
letters of Fronto. the tutor Of Marcus Anrelius,
II is supposed that he was born about A. ID Oh.
and that he died about A. ID. 100, He left an
autobiography. ms he tells MS at the conclu-
sion Of his preface. but II was lost early. IL
was not known to Photius in the ninth century.
although Appian's historical works were all
extant NJ that time. Appian tells us in his
preface that he was a native of Alexandra IN
Egypt. and that he came Ia Rome. where he
practised the profession Of an advocate in
the courts Of the Emperors. until they ap-
pointed him Procurator. As he saws in the
same paragraph that he had reached the highest
place in his own country, II IL inferred that
he wac procurator Of Egypt. 4 fragment
of his works, brought 10 light in recent years,
speaks Of a war against the Jews in Egypt
In which he had an adventure This was prob
ably the war waeed by the Emperor Trajan
10 suppress the Jewish Instruction in that
country, 4. ID. III, the year Of Traian's death.
II is inferred that Appian did not come 10
Rome till the reign of Hadrian. and that he lived
there ill the reign Of Antoninus Plus, and that
he was appointed Procurator by the latter.
Mr.. White goes on TO mention that, among the
letters Of fronto. discovered in the early part
Of this century by Cardinal Mai, is one adj
dressed to Antoninus Plus asking the appoint
ment OF his friend Appinn as Procura-
tor. "a a mark Of distinction in his
old age. Fronto vouches for his friends
honor and integrity. 4 letter from
Appian 10 Fronto in n fraRmentary state, and
Fronto's reply. both written in Greek. were
also among the finds Of Cardinal Mai, Appian
had sought, il seems. TO persuade Fronto 10
accept two slaves as a gift, while Fronto. from
motives Of delicacy. had refused them. So
Appian writes to Fronto and asks why il should
be considered improper for friends 10 accept
presents from friends. when II Is not considered
improper for cities TO accept gifts from their
own citizens. or even from strangers,
This is all that We know OF Appian as a person.
As regards the date OF the publication Of his
work, he says in his preface that Rome had then
existed nine hundred years, which would imply
that his book was brought out, in whole or in
part, about A. ID. $50. or, in other words. during
the reign Of Antoninus Plus, This il a date
later than that accepted by Photius. Patriarch
Of Constantinople. who died 4. ID. sol. to
whom We are indebted for the earliest account
Of Appian's works. photils says. His his
tory begins. as | have said. with linens and
goes on TO the boys. Romulu, and Remus
And then from Romulus. the founder. il gives
n detailed account of events 10 IA. time O,
Augustus. and thence disconnectsdly ,o that
OF Trajan. This Appian was an Alexapdrian |
by birth. At first he pleaded causes at Rome. |
and afterward was deemed worthy IN No an |
pointed Procurator of the Emperor. Ills styl. |
is simple and unaffected and hi. history adberes |
strictly 10 the truth, and he. il anybody i care- |
ful in his account Of military uperation.
Whether 10 arouse bv -peech tho spiri,. ,f IN.
detected soldier or to calm the fiery one. or 10 |
portray emotion. or to express awning el.e |
by words. he stands in the tirst rank ~.
nourished in the times of Traiap and Of