Ammianus, Jovian, and the Syriac Julian Romance

Scholars have not paid much attention to the reign of Jovian (363–364) and the appreciation of his brief rule is in general not particularly positive. At its best Jovian is considered a mediocre emperor whose impact on the empire was not great. Largely responsible for this image is Jovian’s contemporary Ammianus Marcellinus, who offers the fullest account of his rule. Other, more favorable information is offered by Christian sources. A diametrically opposed picture of Jovian’s reign to that of Ammianus is offered by a text known as the Syriac Julian Romance. This Christian text of historical fiction, composed most probably in Edessa possibly in the early sixth century, has attracted little scholarly attention. However, this text of Christian polemical character is most interesting for the image it sketches of Jovian, who is presented as the ideal Christian emperor, as well as for the completely pitch-black picture it presents of Jovian’s predecessor Julian. In this study the opposite images of Jovian as presented by Ammianus on the one hand and the Julian Romance on the other are compared and explained. For Ammianus Julian came close to the ideal emperor whereas Jovian could not live up to his standards of what an emperor should be like; in particular his peace treaty with Shapur II is heavily criticized. The Christian Julian Romance reviles Julian and presents Jovian as new Constantine who restored Christianity and concluded peace with Shapur for the higher purpose of freedom of religion for Christians in the Persian Empire.