EUTROPIUS, a Roman historian, whose surname is conjectured by Sigonius, though on no reasonable grounds, to have been Flavius. So little has been ascertained concerning his personal history, that it is not even known to what country he belonged. He held the office of secretary (epistolaris) under Constantine the Great, accompanied Julian in his unfortunate expedition against the Parthians, and survived to the reign of Valens, to whom he dedicated his history. This work, published under the title of Breviarium Historiæ Romanæ, is a compend of Roman history from the foundation of the city to the accession of Valens. This treatise has been compiled with considerable care from the best accessible authorities, but every incident discretable to the Roman name has been either wholly omitted or quietly glossed over. Modern criticism, too, has not failed to discover occasional mistakes both in matters of fact and in the chronology; and though the style is clear, simple, and precise, and evidently framed with great care on the models of the Augustan age, yet sometimes words are used belonging rather to the silver than the golden age of Latin literature. From its brevity and clearness, Eutropius' history was for a long time a favourite elementary school book; and it is not yet wholly superseded. As a history its value is not great, but it is sometimes serviceable in supplying the lacunæ occurring in history from the total loss of some of the classics, and the imperfect state in which others have come down to us. There have been many editions of Eutropius. That by Havercamp was reputed the best till the appearance of the more complete and critical ones by Tzschucke, Leipz. 1798, and Grosse, Halle, 1813. Of the two Greek translations of Eutropius, that by Capito Lycius has long since perished; the more recent version of Paenius will be found incorporated with the best editions of the Latin text.