The emperor who rejected Christianity. Julian (Flavius Claudius Julianus) "the Apostate," Roman Emperor, lived from 331 or 332 to 363 A.D. Born and educated in Constantinople as a Christian, after a difficult childhood, he dedicated himself to literature and philosophy and became a pagan, studying in various Greek cities. In 355, his cousin Emperor Constantius called him from Athens to the palace in Milan, titled him "Caesar" and appointed him governor of Gaul. Julian restored Gaul to prosperity and good governance after defeating the Alamanni (overturning them at the Battle of Strasbourg in 357) and other Germans.

Between 357 and 361, Julian's soldiers, refusing to serve in the East at Constantius's command, almost embroiled him in a war with Constantius—who, however, died in 361, making Julian the sole Emperor of the Roman world. He initiated many reforms and proclaimed universal religious tolerance, but pushed for the restoration of old pagan worship practices. From 362–363 he prepared in Constantinople and then in Antioch for his campaign against the Persians governed by Shapur II. He died from a wound sustained in a fierce battle.

Julian's surviving works (his Commentaries on his western campaigns are lost), all in Greek, are included in the Loeb Library in three volumes. The eight Orations (1–5 in Volume I, 6–8 in Volume II) include two in praise of Constantius, one in favor of Constantius’s wife Eusebia, and two theosophical hymns (in prose) or declarations, which are of interest for studies in Neoplatonic philosophy, Mithraism, and the cult of Magna Mater in the Roman world. The Misopogon ("Beard Hater"), in Volume II, attacks the manners of the people in Antioch. The Letters (more than eighty) in Volume III include decrees or announcements, mainly concerning Christians, circular or pastoral letters to priests, and private letters. Finally, in Volume III are the fragments of the work Against the Galileans (Christians), written mainly to show that the idea of Christianity is insufficiently substantiated in the Old Testament.

Pages: 528, Publication Year: 0101, Dimensions: 10.8x10.8cm