DOMINO VALENTI GOTHICO MAXIMO PERPETUO AUGUSTO EUTROPIUS V. C. MAGISTER MEMORIAE

Rēs Rōmānās ex voluntāte mānsuētūdinis tuae ab urbe conditā ad nostram memoriam, quae in negōtiīs vel bellicīs vel cīvīlibus ēminēbant, per ōrdinem temporum brevī nārrātiōne collēgī, strictim additīs etiam hīs, quae in prīncipum vītā ēgregia extitērunt, ut tranquillitātis tuae possit mēns dīvīna laetārī prius sē inlūstrium virōrum facta in administrandō imperiō secūtam, quam cognōsceret lēctiōne.

    The preface begins with the standard Roman epistolary greeting, with the author (Eutropius) in the nominative case and the addressee (the emperor Valens) in the dative case.

    GOTHICO MAXIMO: Valens (r. 364–378) took the title Gothicus Maximus after the conclusion of a series of campaigns against Gothic tribes across the Danube between 367 and 369. This dates the completion of the present work to between 369 and 378, the year of Valens’ death.

    V.C.: vir clarissimus, literally a “highly regarded man,” in this period a title indicating senatorial rank (though not necessarily membership in the senate).

    MAGISTER MEMORIAE: a very high position in the Roman imperial bureaucracy, in the office of legal advisors to the emperor, subordinate to the magister officiorum. The duties of the office included composing replies to petitions made to the emperor. Note that this title occurs in only a single manuscript (J) among many. See R.W. Burgess, “Eutropius V. C. ‘Magister Memoriae?’” Classical Philology 96.1 (2001): 76–81.

    ex voluntāte mānsuētūdinis tuae: “in keeping with the wish of your Clemency” (Bird), implying that the emperor asked Eutropius to write the work.

    ab urbe conditā ad nostram memoriam: the scope of the book is from the founding of Rome by Romulus in 753 BCE until the death of the Emperor Jovian in 364 CE.

    per ordinem temporum: "chronologically"

    strictim: “concisely”

    additīs etiam hīs: “these events also being added,” ablative absolute using a perfect passive participle (AG 419).

    in principum vitā: “in the lives of the emperors” (Bird). In this text, Eutropius seldom uses the term prīnceps for the emperor, instead favoring the term imperātor.

    tranquillitatis tuae: a courteous form address, like mansuetudinis tuae above.

    se ... secutam: supply esse, “that it has pursued”

    prius … quam cognosceret: “before it learned”

    Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates

    Valēns, entis, m.

    Valēns, emperor of the East, 364–378 A.D.

    Māximus, ī, m.

    a Roman cognomen meaning "greatest, most powerful"

    Augustus, ī, m.

    a title of honor given to Octavianus in 27 BC and after him to all the Roman emperors

    Rōmānus, a, um, adj.

    Roman; as subst., Rōmānī, ōrum, pl. m., the Romans

    mānsuētūdō, inis [mānsuētus, tame], f.

    mildness, gentleness

    bellicus -a -um

    warlike, military

    cīvīlis, e [cīvis], adj.

    pertaining to a citizen, civilian

    ēmineō, ēre, uī, —

    to stand out, be conspicuous

    nārrātiō, ōnis [nārrō, to tell], f.

    a narrative

    colligō, -ligere, -lēgī, -lēctum

    to gather, collect, assemble

    strictim

    (adv.) summarily, briefly

    exsistō, ere, stitī, —

    to appear, arise, project, exist

    tranquillitās, ātis [tranquillus], f.

    calmness, stillness; Tranquillitās, ātis (as title of emperor), Serene Highness

    dīvīnus, a, um [dīvus], adj.

    divine, sacred

    laetor, ārī, ātus sum [laetus, joyful]

    to rejoice, be joyful, be glad

    illūstris, e, adj.

    clear, distinguished, glorious

    administrō, āre, āvī, ātus [ad + ministrō, to manage]

    to manage, govern, regulate, carry on (war).

    lēctiō, ōnis [legō], f.

    a reading

     

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