This is the first full-scale translation and commentary of Eutropius's
Breviarium
(Short History of Rome), a major vehicle for transmitting knowledge of Roman history in the Middle Ages and beyond.
The book consists of a lengthy introduction to Eutropius, his fourth-century context, and the reasons for the text's composition. His attitudes, styles, sources, mode of composition, and chronology are all discussed, as is his continuing popularity through the centuries. A translation of the
follows, accompanied by a historical and historiographical commentary.