SOL Search

The chamberlain of the emperor Arcadius.[1] There was nothing dreadful that he failed to do. He sold government offices publicly, falsely accused people with power, got rid of the leading men through exile, and brought all manner of outrageous force against the members of the Senate. Nor did he even hold himself back from alliance with foreigners, as if he was hoping to take over the position of the emperor. And once, wanting to arrest those who had taken refuge in the churches, he gave a command ordering that these people be dragged out from the altars. And, while the law had been written, yet justice followed straightway after his savagery. For, not much later Eutropius, after quarreling with the emperor, himself became a refugee and was lying under the altar, while John Chrysostom was bishop.[2] After being pulled away from there, within a night he was beheaded. Thus, then, Eutropius paid the penalty for his sin and was erased from the very list of the consuls, for Theodorus, his fellow consul, has been recorded as the only one.
[It is said that] under this Eutropius eunuchs[3] as a class increased and grew so great in number because of his importance and power that then even some of those who already had beards wanted to become eunuchs and were deprived of their life[4] along with their testicles.

*eu)tro/pios, o( tou= *)arkadi/ou tou= basile/ws pro/koitos: o(\s ou)de\n tw=n deinw=n a)peli/mpanen, ta/s te a)rxa\s dhmosi/a| pipra/skwn kai\ tou\s th=s duna/mews sukofantw=n e)cori/ais te tou\s megista=nas u(poba/llwn kai\ pa=san u(/brin toi=s th=s sugklh/tou boulh=s e)pa/gwn. a)ll' ou)de\ th=s tw=n barba/rwn a)pei/xeto summaxi/as, w(s a)\n au)to\s e)lpi/zwn e)s th\n tou= basile/ws metabai/nein a)ci/an. kai/ pote kai\ tou\s e)n tai=s e)kklhsi/ais pefeugo/tas sullamba/nein boulo/menos prou)/qhken e)pitre/pwn tou/tous e)k tw=n qusiasthri/wn a)fe/lkesqai. kai\ o( me\n no/mos e)ge/grapto, di/kh de\ eu)qe/ws th=s w)mo/thtos h)kolou/qei. met' ou) polu\ ga\r proskrou/sas tw=| basilei= *eu)tro/pios e)n toi=s pro/sfucin e)ge/neto kai\ u(po\ to\ qusiasth/rion e)/keito, *)iwa/nnou e)piskopou=ntos tou= *xrusosto/mou, e)kei=qe/n te a)faireqei\s nukto\s th=s kefalh=s a)pote/mnetai. ou(/tw me\n o( *eu)tro/pios di/kas th=s a(marta/dos u(posta\s kai\ e)c au)tou= tou= katalo/gou tw=n u(pa/twn h)mei/fqh, mo/nou tou= sunupateu/santos *qeodw/rou gegramme/nou. o(/ti e)pi\ tou/tou tou= *eu)tropi/ou to\ tw=n eu)nou/xwn e)/qnos dia\ th\n e)kei/nou baru/thta kai\ dunastei/an e)s tosou=ton e)pe/dwke kai\ pareta/qh plh/qous, w(/ste tine\s h)/dh kai\ tw=n geneia/das e)xo/ntwn eu)nou=xoi boulhqe/ntes gene/sqai, su\n toi=s o)/rxesin kai\ th=s yuxh=s a)fh|re/qhsan.

On Eutropius, see Claudian, In Eutropium (web address 1); J.B. Bury History of the Later Roman Empire I.5.2-4 (web address 2); and already epsilon 3776.
The first paragraph of the present entry is derived from John of Antioch fr.189 FHG (4.610), now 283 Roberto. Much of it is repeated, with slight changes, at upsilon 169.
[1] Arcadius ruled 395-408. On Arcadius and Eutropius’ role in his reign, see G.B. Nathan’s De Imperatoribus Romanis article 'Arcadius' (web address 3).
[2] For John Chrysostom’s defense of Eutropius, see his two homilies on Eutropius (web address 4) and the Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Chrysostom (web address 5).
[3] See epsilon 3776 for bibliography on eunuchs in the ancient world. Though often they held positions of authority in ancient households, cultural prejudices usually kept them from holding high political office. Thus it was thought scandalous that Eutropius gained the consulship.
[4] Whether yuxh/ is here meant to mean 'life' or 'soul' is unclear. Perhaps both meanings are implied. See also sigma 897 which repeats this last paragraph with minor additions.

Catharine Roth (tweaked translation, added cross-reference) on 19 December 2007@21:35:07.
David Whitehead (more keywords; tweaks and cosmetics) on 20 December 2007@03:41:43.
Abram Ring (tweaked translation and x-ref) on 4 May 2009@14:52:54.
David Whitehead (more keywords; cosmetics) on 15 November 2012@06:50:00.
Catharine Roth (coding) on 28 November 2014@10:25:08.
Catharine Roth (removed italics) on 29 November 2014@01:12:06.
David Whitehead (updated a ref) on 29 January 2015@08:58:18.

Suda On Line Search