who is commonly ranked among the Latin historians, flourished in the middle of the fourth century under the emperor Constantius and his successors. According to his own account (de Cues. 20), that is, supposing the work from which we quote to be a genuine document, he was born in the country of very humble parents, but rose to distinction by his zeal in the cultivation of literature. Having attracted the attention of Julian when at Sirmium, he was appointed by that prince governor of one division of Pannonia. At a subsequent period, he was elevated by Theodosius to the high office of city praefect, and there seems no good reason to doubt that he is the Sex. Aurelius Victor, who was consul along with Valentinian in A. D 373. With regard to the period of his death, nothing is known, nor can we collect any further information concerning his life, except that it has been inferred from certain observations in the memoir of Hadrian (de Cues. 14) that he was a pagan. (Vict. de Caes. 16, 20, 28, 41; Amm. Marc. 21.10, and the notes.)
The following works, which present in a very compressed form a continuous record of Roman affairs, from the fabulous ages down to the death of the emperor Theodosius, have all been ascribed to this writer, but the evidence upon which the determination of authorship depends, is very slender, and in all probability the third alone belongs to the Sex. Aurelius Victor whom we have noticed above.
[W.R]