The Roman historian Eutropius flourished in the fourth century AD and is the author of ‘Breviarium historiae Romanae’, a compendium of ten books of Roman history, from the foundation of the city to the accession of Valens. It has come down to us complete and was compiled with considerable care and written with impartiality in a succinct style. It is particularly useful to historians for its account of the First Punic War, as Livy’s books spanning that period have not survived. Delphi’s Anc...

The bishop Eutropius, who lived in late Visigothic Spain, gives his counsel on the subject of the seven deadly sins and ways that anyone can avoid them through conscientious practice. He delineates in this work how these sins are related to one another.

A concise history of the Roman Empire published in the fourth century, from the creation of Rome through Valens' accession. The book, translated by John Selby Watson, tells the story of Rome's early monarchy and republic till the time of Constantine and his successors to the death of Jovian (364 AD). Flavius Eutropius was a Roman historian who lived during the second part of the fourth century. He served as the city's secretary (magister memoriae), traveled with Emperor Julian (361-363) on...

Eutropius' "Abridgement of Roman History" offers an essential survey of Rome's vast political and military narrative from its legendary foundation to the late Empire. Written in a succinct and accessible prose style, this work embodies the characteristics of Late Antiquity's historiography, melding brevity with clarity. Eutropius meticulously condenses the extensive annals of Roman history, skillfully emphasizing key events and figures while maintaining a coherent chronological flow. His i...

Eutropius's "Abridgement of Roman History" serves as a concise yet comprehensive overview of Rome's vast historical tapestry, written in an accessible Latin style ideal for a broad audience. Comprising ten books, this work meticulously condenses the annals of Roman history from its legendary foundation to the reign of Emperor Jovian. Eutropius employs clear narrative techniques, blending elevation with simplicity, making complex events digestible for readers unfamiliar with ancient histori...

EUTROPIUS, Roman historian, flourished in the latter half of the 4th century A.D. He held the office of secretary at Constantinople, accompanied Julian on his expedition against the Persians (363), and was alive during the reign of Valens (364-378), to whom he dedicates his history. This work (Breviarium historiae Romanae) is a complete compendium, in ten books, of Roman history from the foundation of the city to the accession of Valens. It was compiled with considerable care from the best...

Eutropius, a concise and engaging historical text, serves as a valuable summary of Roman history from its legendary beginnings through to the reign of Emperor Valens in the late 4th century. Written in elegant Latin prose, the work reflects the classical tradition while embodying a unique blend of brevity and clarity, making it accessible to both scholarly and general audiences. Eutropius's ability to distill complex historical events into manageable narratives situates his work as a cruci...

Flourishing in the third century, Herodian of Antioch wrote a ‘Roman History’, covering the period of the Roman Empire from the death of Marcus Aurelius (AD 180) to the accession of Gordian III (238). It was a century of turbulent strife, when a succession of frontier crises and a disastrous lack of economic planning established a pattern of military coups and increasing cultural divides. Herodian’s history is one of the few texts charting this period to have survived and it is more or les...

The Roman historian Velleius Paterculus lived during the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius, serving as a military tribune and later as a cavalry officer and legatus in Germany and Pannonia. Written in a highly rhetorical style, his ‘Compendium of Roman History’ is a summary of Roman history from the mythical fall of Troy to AD 29. As Paterculus approaches his own times, he becomes much fuller in his treatment of history, especially dealing with the years between the death of Julius Caesar in...

Regarded by some as the greatest genius of the early Christian church, Origen of Alexandria was a third century scholar, ascetic and theologian. He was a prolific writer of approximately 2,000 treatises in multiple branches of theology, including textual criticism, biblical exegesis and hermeneutics and spirituality. His treatise ‘On the First Principles’ systematically lays out the principles of Christian theology and became the foundation for later theological writings; while the treatis...

The father of Roman literature, Quintus Ennius (239–169 BC) was instrumental in creating a new Roman literary identity. Though later overshadowed by Virgil’s ‘The Aeneid’, Ennius was revered by his contemporaries for producing the first true Latin epic poem. ‘The Annals’ covered Roman history from the fall of Troy to the censorship of Cato the Elder. Sadly, Ennius’ works survive only in fragments, recorded by later writers and painstakingly collected over the centuries by classical...

A man of unusually complex character, Julian the Apostate was a military commander, philosopher, social reformer and man of letters. He was the last non-Christian ruler of the Roman Empire and it was his wish to bring the Empire back to its ancient Roman values in order to save it from ‘dissolution’. He purged the top-heavy state bureaucracy and attempted to revive traditional Roman religious practices at the expense of Christianity. Delphi’s Ancient Classics series provides eReade...