Map of Europe
The following books have been referred to in the Notes. While the references are intended principally for the teacher, every student should be provided with a copy of Creighton’s Primer of Roman History. If Eutropius is studied in connection with this book, the student cannot fail to obtain a fair knowledge of the main facts of Roman History.
NOTE
In the Notes the references to Harkness’ Grammar occur in two forms, the first referring to the New Latin Grammar (1898), the second, in brackets, to the Standard Latin Grammar.
Of the life of Eutropius we know very little. Only once in his work does he mention himself, Bk. X, Ch. 16. He was proconsul in Asia in 371A.D., and praetorian praefect 380-387A.D.He is said to have been the secretary of the Emperor Constantine the Great.
The only one of his works that is extant is theBreviārium, a brief history of Rome from the founding of the city to the death of the Emperor Jovian, 364A.D.He dedicated the work to the Emperor Valens, 364-378A.D., composing it probably at the emperor’s request.
Through the republican period he follows Livy, whom he knows at first hand. Afterwards he takes Suetonius and the Augustan History for his guides. His style is simple and terse, and the diction is very good for the age in which the book was written. As a historian his judgment is cool and impartial. He makes some blunders, but mostly in the matter of dates. A Greek translation made by a certain Capito, a Lycian, is mentioned, but it has been lost. A later Greek version by Paeanius is extant.