[BOOK][B] Julian's gods: religion and philosophy in the thought and action of Julian the Apostate

RBE Smith - 2013 - taylorfrancis.com
RBE Smith
2013taylorfrancis.com
Julian's brief reign (360-363 AD) had a profound impact on his contemporaries, as he
worked fervently for a pagan restoration in the Roman Empire, which was rapidly becoming
Christian. Julian's Gods focuses on the cultural mentality ofthe last pagan Emperor'by
examining a wide variety of his own writings. The surviving speeches and treatises, satires
and letters offer a rare insight into the personal attitudes and motivations of a remarkable
Emperor. They show Julian as a highly educated man, an avid student of Greek philosophy …
Julian's brief reign (360-363 AD) had a profound impact on his contemporaries, as he worked fervently for a pagan restoration in the Roman Empire, which was rapidly becoming Christian. Julian's Gods focuses on the cultural mentality of `the last pagan Emperor' by examining a wide variety of his own writings. The surviving speeches and treatises, satires and letters offer a rare insight into the personal attitudes and motivations of a remarkable Emperor. They show Julian as a highly educated man, an avid student of Greek philosophy, and a talented author in his own right. This elegant and closely-argued study will deepen understanding not only of Julian, but of the context of fourth century Neoplatonism.
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