Aelius Donatus (born around 310 AD-dead after 363 AD) Aelius Donatus was a Latin grammarian. However, the knowledge of his life is reduced to few things. Only two source allow us to obtain some informations: the work realized by Saint Hieronymus, one of the most famous of his students and the own work made by Donatus himself. Thanks to their study, the life of this grammaticus 1 from Antiquity can be revealed step by step to the historian’s eyes. Donatus was born around 310 AD 2 . He had strong links with the famous rhetor of that time, Victorinus. We know, thanks to Saint Hieronymus 3 , that the two men had received some honors on 354 AD. When Saint Hieronymus was at Donatus’ school in 363 AD, Victorinus was between sixty or seventy years old. Donatus, him, probably was between forty and fifty – for that time, a difference of age superior to twenty years is not conceivable. On the other hand, nothing filtered through the life of Donatus before his known period of activity, that’s to say between 354 AD and 363 AD, two reference dates provided by Saint Hieronymus. Indeed, this one mentioned in his work 4 the honor received by Donatus and Victorinus. We can deduce a precise date from that, 354 AD. At this date, Donatus was grammarian. The life of Saint Hieronymus also allow us to determine the terminus post quem of the period of activity of Donatus. Saint Hieronymus was at Donatus’ school when arrived at Rome the news of Emperor Julian’s death of the Persian front 5 . We know that this information has arrived at Rome at the beginning of July 363 AD. So, Donatus still exercised at this date. Thus, from 354 AD to 363 AD, Donatus exercised the function of grammarian. He was grammaticus. He taught to the pupils in his school – generally a shop on the forum protected from bad weather by a velum – Latin language and the explanation of classical poets 6 . During the period 354 AD to 363 AD, Donatus also published a very important work. This was entirely turned to school and the teaching skills of the grammaticus. Four books came to us: some comments on Virgilius, some comments on Terentius and two books about linguistic explanation: the Ars Maior and the Ars Minor. It is hard to know what was the order of publication. It seems that the comments on Virgilius were prior from those on Terentius and that the Ars Maior was redacted before the Ars Minor. The comments on Virgilius and Terentius are explanation of the text in accordance with the procedure realized during the lessons made by the grammaticus 7 whereas the Ars Maior and the Ars Minor are two grammar and linguistic studies “schoolbooks”. The Ars Minor is consecrated to 1 The terme grammaticus was used in Antiquity to talk about a teacher in charge of secondary school. It’s the role of Donatus. 2 Cf. Louis Holtz, Donat et la tradition de l’enseignement grammatical, Paris(1981), p. 18-19. 3 Hier., Chron. Abr. 2370, thus the year 2370 of Abraham in the translation of Eusebius’ chronicle, said: “ the rhetor Victorinus and the grammarian Donatus, who was my master, receive in Rome some honors. One of them, Victorinus even obtains a statue on Traianus’ forum.” (Victorinus rhetor et Donatus grammaticus, praeceptor meus, Romae insignes habentur ; e quibus Victorinus etiam statuam in foro Traiani meruit.). 4 Cf. Louis Holtz, Donat et la tradition de l’enseignement grammatical, Paris(1981), p. 18-19. 5 “I was still a child and frequented the school of the grammaticus. All the cities soiled from the blood of sacrifices.” Hier, in Hab., 2, 3 (Dum adhuc essem puer et in grammaticae ludo exercerer omnesque victimarum sanguine polluerentur). 6 For that, he was paid 200 denarii per child and per month (which is equal to four days of a skilled worker’s wage) This amount was fixed by Dliocletian’s edict enacted in 301 AD. For more informations, see the article about education during the 4 th century AD. 7 See the explanations in the previous paragraph.