Abridgement of Roman History (eBook)

Eutropius was a Roman historian who flourished in the latter half of the 4th century AD during the reign of Emperor Valens, to whom Eutropius' most well-known work, the 'Breviarium ab urbe condita' (Abridgement of Roman History), is dedicated. While the exact details of his life are sparse, it is clear that Eutropius held a civic office as a secretary at some point, which would have granted him access to historical archives and thus the material necessary for his historical writings. His 'Breviarium' is a concise chronicle of Roman history from its mythic founding up to the year 364 AD and is notably one of the few sources that covers certain aspects of the late Roman Empire. Written in ten books, Eutropius' Breviarium was valued for its brevity and easy-to-understand Latin, which made it popular in educational settings throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance. It was even translated into Greek during the Byzantine period, underscoring its widespread appeal. His style, characterized by concise narratives and avoidance of elaborate rhetoric, has been appreciated for its utility as a historical summary, even if it lacks the analytical depth of larger, more comprehensive histories. Scholars refer to Eutropius's work not only for the narrative of events but also as a reflection of 4th-century perspectives on Rome's past. Despite the brevity of his work, Eutropius's ability to condense Rome's vast history into a digestible format ensures his lasting significance in the annals of historiography.