AUSONIUS, DECIMUS MAGNUS (c. Roman poet and rhetorician, was born at Burdigala (Bordeaux). He set up (in 334) a school of rhetoric in his native place, which was largely attended, his most famous pupil being Paulinus, after wards bishop of Nola. After 3o years of this work, he was sum moned by Valentinian to the imperial court, to undertake the education of Gratian, the heir-apparent. The prince had the greatest regard for his tutor, and after his accession bestowed upon him the highest honours, culminating in the consulship (379). After the murder of Gratian (383), Ausonius retired to his estates near Burdigala. He appears to have been a (not very enthusiastic) convert to Christianity. He died about 395. Ausonius was rather a man of letters than a poet; his wide reading supplied him with material for a great variety of sub jects, but his works exhibit no traces of a true poetic spirit; even his versification, though ingenious, is frequently defective. His most important extant works are : in prose, Gratioarum Actio, an address of thanks to Gratian for his elevation to the consulship; Periochae, summaries of the books of the Iliad and Odyssey; and one or two epistolae; in verse, Epigrammata, in cluding several free translations from the Greek Anthology; Ephemeris, the occupations of a day; Parentalia and Commemo ratio Pro f essorum Burdigalensium, on deceased relatives and literary friends; Epitaphia, chiefly on the Trojan heroes; Cae sares, memorial verses on the Roman emperors from Julius Caesar to Elagabalus; Ordo Nobilium Urbium, short poems on famous cities; Ludus Septem Sapientum, speeches delivered by the Seven Sages of Greece; Idyllia, of which the best known are the Mosella, a descriptive poem on the Moselle, and the scan dalous Cento Nuptialis. We may also mention Cupido Cruciatus, Cupid on the cross; Technopaegion, a literary trifle consisting of a collection of verses ending in monosyllables; Eclogarum Liber, on astronomical and astrological subjects; Epistolae, including letters to Paulinus and Symmachus; lastly, Prae f atiunculae, three poetical epistles, one to the Emperor Theodosius.
There are no mss. containing the whole of Ausonius's works. Editio princeps (147 2) ; editions by Scaliger (1575), Souchay (173o) , Schenkl (1883) , Peiper (1886) ; cf. Mosella, Bocking (1845) , de la Ville de Mirmont (critical edition with translation, 1889), and De Ausonii Mosella (1892) , Hosius (1894) , English translation of works by H. G. E. White (Loeb series 1919) .