We ​​have a large amount of information on Eutropius and his life, obtained from both his work and the indications by his contemporaries, for which, however, it is not always easy to understand whether they refer to our historian or to authors with the same name who lived in the fourth century. The dedication Domino Valenti Gothico Maximo sets the composition of the Breuiarium under the reign of Emperor Valens and specifically after 369, when Valens was bestowed the title Gothicus after the victory on Athanaric. That Eutropius was Valens’ uir clarissimus and magister memoriae is recorded in the code Bambergensis E III 22 century. IX (J); scholars are generally inclined to believe this testimony (but see the critical argumentation by Burgess 2001): this title would indicate that Eutropius was a high official of the imperial administration, immediate predecessor of the other historian, Festus, to whom the same code J more clearly attributes the position (see Festus). In his work (10,16,1) Eutropius witnesses to have fought in the expedition against the Persians following the Emperor Julian (361-363 AD); some letters by Symmachus, in which Eutropius is praised among other things as efficient historian of the deeds of Gratianus in Germany (3, 47), tell us of a relationship of friendship between the two in the 70s of the century. The reference in the lexicon Suda (2, 475, 24 s.) to Eutropius σοφιστής, who wrote a history of Rome τῇ Ἰταλῶν φωνῇ, could instead be simply derived from the work. Marcellus Empiricus’ testimony (praef. 2) on an Eutropius author of medicine, a native of Gaul as Ausonius father is debated  (Matthews, Jones, Herzog-Schmidt), and conflicts with a possible eastern origin of the historian, if we identify him with Eutropius the grandson of the rhetorician Acacius of Caesarea mentioned by Libanius, Or. 1, 159 (Bonamente, Malcovati, Hellegouarc'h). The Eastern origin could be confirmed by a letter of Symmachus from which we get that Eutropius had possessions in Asia (3, 53). Questionable is the identification with the Eutropius σοφιστής καὶ ἐπιστολογράφος Κωνσταντίνου (Script. Orig Constant. 2, 144, Preger) that some scholars claim, correcting the name of Constantine to Constantius II chronologically better compatible, to attribute to the historian the position of magister epistularum of Constantius (among others Hellegouarc'h). Scholars generally agree that Eutropius is to be identified with the proconsul of Asia in 371, whom Ammianus Marcellinus speaks of (29, 2, 36) as involved in the conspiracy of Theodore, but then acquitted (cf. also Libanius Or. 1, 159 ), the praefectus of Illyricum appointed by Theodosius in 380-81, and finally, at the culmination of his career, the Eutropius who shares the consulate with Valentinian II in 387.  [R. Tabacco; trad. M. Formentelli]