It is indeed impossible to examine this "world-historical" work, as the author himself calls it, in just a few pages. Julian had already sparked the curiosity of another great man, Goethe, who writes to Schiller on January 5, 1798, "… I would like one day… to do something terrible, fulfilling my plan around Julian the Apostate…".

This philosopher-emperor, his turbulent era, and his tragic death naturally captivated a playwright as sensitive, psychological, and brave as Ibsen. Undoubtedly, Ibsen delved into historical sources, as the references testify. However, most of the time the dramatic scene unfolds on its own, separate from the details provided by history.

Ibsen completely respected the ecclesiastical orators and the sophists. Their language is pure from their writings. This work is Ibsen's last dramatic piece with a historical theme. It was first unveiled in 1873. Great scholars of Ibsen agree that in the Emperor and Galilean, Ibsen expresses his inner protest in the name of individual rights against the established structure of the State, the church, and Society.