VEGETIUS RENATUS, FLAVIUS, a Latin writer, flourished towards the close of the fourth century. His treatise "De Re Militari," he inscribed to the emperor Valentinian the Second, who was assassinated in the year 393. He appears to have been a man of rank. Raphael Volaterranus styles him "Comes Constantinopolitanus," and some manuscripts of his own work describe him in a similar manner. In the older editions, his treatise is divided into four books; but Scriverius, on the authority of certain manuscripts, divided it into five. The authors whom Vegetius professes to follow are Cato, Celsus, Frontinus, and Pater, together with Augustus, Trajan, and Hadrian, in their constitutions, or legal enactments. He has thus collected a valuable mass of materials; but Lipsius has remarked that he confounds the customs and practices of his own with those of former ages.
In edition of his work, supposed to be the first, appeared under the title of "Epitoma de Re Militari." It is in folio without place or date, but, according to conjecture, was printed at Utrecht about the year 1473. There is another undated edition in quarto, and a third in folio. After various intermediate editions appeared that of F. Modius, Col. 1580, 8vo. It was followed by two editions containing the elaborate commentary of Stewechius, Antwerp. 155, 4to, Lugd. Bat. 1592, 8vo. His commentary, together with that of Modius, is to be found in the edition of Scriverius, Lugd. Bat. 1607, 4to. These three, like most of the editions, include Frontinus and other ancient writers on military affairs. The text of these authors, with the notes of Scriverius, was reprinted in 12mo. at the same place in 1533 and 1644. An edition of Vegetius, containing selections of Stewechius and Scriverius, with those of the editor, and a French translation, was published by N. Schwebelius, Nuremberg, 1767, 4to. Another, containing the annotations of various critics, appeared long afterwards, Argent. 181, 8vo. The work has been translated into several modern languages. There is an early English version by John Sadler, Lond. 1572, 4to. And a more recent translation was published by Lieutenant John Clarke, Lond. 1771, 8vo.