Page:Arrian's Voyage Round the Euxine Sea Translated.djvu/28

24 The Periplus appears in form of an Epitle from Arrian to the Emperor, giving him a geographical, or perhaps, to peak more properly, a topographical ketch, or urvey, of the coat of the Euxine ea, proceeding Eatward from Trapezus, and returning to the ame place by Byzantium from the Wet; It is written in the Greek language, which was probably more familiar to himelf than the Latin, and more agreeable to the Emperor, who was attached to the Greek language and literature. He alludes however to Letters or Dipatches in the Latin language, which alone was ued in properly official communications.

It is not unlikely that the Periplus was undertaken by command of the Emperor himelf, and that it was executed when Arrian was Præfect of Cappadocia. Mr. Dodwell thinks that it was performed early in the reign of Hadrian, as one of the petty Kings of that country was advanced to the regal dignity by Trajan, Hadrian's predeceor, and was living at the time that the account of the Periplus was Written. This conjecture however is weakened by the conideration, that Arrian mentions everal other Kings of that country, who received their advancement from Hadrian himelf.

The province of Cappadocia, which included Trapezus, from whence the expedition was fitted out, was well uited for uch a purpoe, being probably under his juridiction, and as it furnihed,by his own account, materials for hip-building, and other tores for