Emperor and Author : The Writings of Julian 'the Apostate'

This volume offers the first comprehensive analysis in English of all the writings of Julian (r. AD 361-363), the last pagan emperor of Rome, noted for his frontal and self-conscious challenge to Christianity. The book also contains treatments of Julian's laws, inscriptions, coinage, as well as his artistic programme. Across nineteen papers, international specialists in the field of Late Antique Studies offer original interpretations of an extraordinary figure: emperor and philosopher, soldier and accomplished writer. Julian, his life and writings, are here considered as parts of the tumult in politics, culture and religion during the Fourth Century AD. New light is shed on Julian's distinctive literary style and imperial agenda. The volume also includes an up-to-date, consolidated bibliography. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS ABBREVIATIONS INTRODUCTION 1 JULIAN THE WRITER AND HIS AUDIENCE 2 READING BETWEEN THE LINES: JULIAN’S FIRST PANEGYRIC ON CONSTANTIUS II 3 ‘BUT I DIGRESS...’: RHETORIC AND PROPAGANDA IN JULIAN’S SECOND ORATION TO CONSTANTIUS 4 IS THERE AN EMPRESS IN THE TEXT? JULIAN’S SPEECH OF THANKS TO EUSEBIA 5 JULIAN’S CONSOLATION TO HIMSELF ON THE DEPARTURE FO THE EXCELLENT SALUTIUS: RHETORIC AND PHILOSOPHY IN THE FOURTH CENTURY 6 THE TYRANT’S MASK? IMAGES OF GOOD AND BAD RULE IN JULIAN’S LETTER TO THE ATHENIANS 7 JULIAN’S LETTER TO THEMISTIUS AND THEMISTIUS RESPONSE? 8 THE EMPEROR’S SHADOW: JULIAN IN HIS CORRESPONDENCE 9 JULIAN THE LAWGIVER 10 WORDS AND DEEDS: JULIAN IN THE EPIGRAPHIC RECORD 11 JULIAN AND HIS COINAGE: A VERY CONSTANTINIAN PRINCE 12 ROMAN AUTHORITY, IMPERIAL AUTHORIALITY, AND JULIAN’S ARTISTIC PROGRAM 13 JULIAN’S HYMN TO THE MOTHER OF THE GODS: THE REVIVAL AND JUSTIFICATION OF TRADITIONAL RELIGION 14 JULIAN’S HYMN TO KING HELIOS : THE ECONOMICAL US E OF COMPLEX NEOPLATONIC CONCEPTS 15 THE FORGING OF AN HELLENIC ORTHODOXY: JULIAN’S SPEECHES AGAINST THE CYNICS 16 THE CHRISTIAN CONTEXT OF JULIAN’S AGAINST THE GALILEANS 17 THE POLITICS OF VIRTUE IN JULIAN’S MISOPOGON 18 THE CAESARS FO JULIAN THE APOSTATE IN TRANSLATION AND RECEPTION 1580- CA.1800 19 AFTERWORD: STUDYING JULIAN THE AUTHOR BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX