11/4/26

Julian the Apostate: The Last Pagan Emperor of Rome

Julian, known as Julian the Apostate, was the last pagan emperor of Rome. A nephew of Constantine the Great, he was raised a Christian but secretly turned to the old gods of Rome and Greece.

During his short reign from 361 to 363 CE he reopened temples, restored sacrifices, removed privileges the Church had gained and tried to organise a pagan "church" to rival it. He died on campaign against the Sasanian Persians in 363, and Rome's last attempt to restore its ancestral religion died with him.

Chapters

  • 00:00 Who was Julian the Apostate?

  • 00:53 Early life and education

  • 02:12 Julian as Caesar

  • 05:14 Julian's pagan church

  • 06:50 The Persian campaign

  • 07:50 Reflection

Read the full essay

The Last Pagan Emperor: Julian the Apostate, with full sources.

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