Eumenius (c. 260-311), one of the Roman panegyrists, was born at Augustodunum (Autun) in Gallia Lugdunensis. He was of Greek descent; his grandfather, who had migrated from Athens to Rome, finally settled at Autun as a teacher of rhetoric. Eumenius probably took his place, for it was from Autun that he went to be magister memoriae (private secretary) to Constantius Chlorus, whom he accompanied on several of his campaigns. Events Valerian I captured by the Persian king Shapur I; Gallienus becomes sole Roman emperor. ... For the band, see 311 (band), for the number see 311 (number) Events June 15 - Licinius issues his own Edict of Toleration, ending persecution of Christians in his own part of the Roman Empire. ... Roman or Romans has several meanings, primarily related to the Roman citizens, but also applicable to typography, math, and a commune. ... Autun is a commune of the Saône-et-Loire département, in Burgundy, France. ... Roman province of Gallia Lugdunensis, 120 AD Gallia Lugdunensis was a province of the Roman Empire roughly encompassing the regions of Brittany, Normandy and the area around Lutetia Parisiorum (Paris) in what is now the modern country of France. ... Rhetoric (from Greek ρητωρ, rhêtôr, orator) is one of the three original liberal arts or trivium (the other members are dialectic and grammar). ... Gaius Flavius Valerius Constantius (March 31, 250–July 25, 306) was an emperor of the Western Roman Empire (305–306). ...

In 296 Chlorus determined to restore the famous schools (scholae Maenianae) of Autun, which had been greatly damaged by the inroads of the Bagaudae (peasant bandits), and appointed Eumenius to the management of them, allowing him to retain his offices at court and doubling his salary. Eumenius generously gave up a considerable portion of his emoluments to the improvement of the schools. There is no doubt that Eumenius was a heathen, not even a nominal follower of Christianity, like Ausonius and other writers from Gaul. Decimus Magnus Ausonius (c. ...

Nothing is known of his later years; but he must have lived at least till 315, if the Gratiarum Actio to Constantine is by him. Of the twelve discourses included in the collection of Panegyrici Latini (ed. E. Bahrens, 1874), the following are probably by Eumenius: Events Eusebius becomes bishop of Caesarea (approximate date). ... People called Constantine Constantine is the name of many people: Rulers called Constantine Constantine I of the Roman Empire Constantine II of the Roman Empire Constantine III of Rome Constantine III of Byzantium Constantine IV Constantine V Constantine VI Constantine VII Constantine VIII of the Byzantine Empire Constantine IX Constantine...

1. Pro restaurandis (or instaurandis) scholis, delivered in 297 in the forum at Autun before the governor of the province. Its chief object is to set forth the steps necessary to restore the schools to their former state of efficiency, and the author lays stress upon the fact that he intends to assist the good work out of his own pocket.
2. An address (297) to the Caesar Constantius Chlorus, congratulating him on his victories over Allectus and Carausius in Britain, and containing information of some value as to the British methods of fighting.
3. A panegyric on Constantine (310).
4. An address of thanks (311) from the inhabitants of Autun (whose name had been changed from Augustodunum to Flavia) to Constantine for the remission of taxes and other benefits.
5. A festal address (307) on the marriage of Constantine and Fausta, the daughter of Maximian. All these speeches, with the exception of the first, were delivered at Augusta Trevirorum, whose birthday is celebrated in (3). Eumenius is far the best of the orators of his time, and superior to the majority of the writers of imperial panegyrics. He shows greater self-restraint and moderation in his language; which is simple and pure, and on the whole is free from the gross flattery which characterizes such productions. This fault is most conspicuous in (3), which led Heyne (Opuscula, vi. 80) to deny the authorship of Eumenius on the ground that it was unworthy of him.

Events Narseh of Persia and Diocletian conclude a peace treaty between Persia and Rome. ... Allectus (died 296) was a Roman emperor in Britain (293–296). ... Marcus Aurelius Mausaeus Carausius (d. ... Fausta was the daughter of the Roman Emperor Maximianus. ... Maximian on a coin (295–296 AD) Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus (c. ...

References

There are treatises on Eumenius by B. Kilian (Wurzburg, 1869), S. Brandt (Freiburg im Breisgau, 1882), and H. Sachs (Halle, 1885); see also Gaston Boissier, " Les Rheteurs gaulois du IVe siecle," in journal des savants (1884).

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica ( 1911) in many ways represents the sum of knowledge at the beginning of the 20th century. ...