Orations 1-5

by Julian, Wilmer C. Wright (Translator)

Julian (Flavius Claudius Iulianus) "the Apostate", Roman Emperor, lived 331 or 332 to 363 CE. Born and educated in Constantinople as a Christian, after a precarious childhood he devoted 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 court at Milan, entitled him "Caesar", and made him governor of Gaul. Julian restored Gaul to prosperity and good government after the ravages of the Alamanni (he overthrew them at the battle of Strassburg in 357) and other Germans. Between 357 and 361 Julian's own soldiers, refusing to serve in the East at Constantius's orders, nearly involved Julian in war with Constantius—who however died in 361 so that Julian became sole Emperor of the Roman world. He began many reforms and proclaimed universal toleration in religion but pressed for the restoration of the older pagan worships. In 362–363 he prepared at Constantinople and then at Antioch for his expedition against Persia ruled by Shapur II. He died of a wound received in desperate battle.

Julian's surviving works (lost are his Commentaries on his western campaigns), all in Greek, are given in the Loeb Classical Library in three volumes. The eight Orations (1-5 in Volume I, 6-8 in Volume II) include two in praise of Constantius, one praising Constantius's wife Eusebia, and two theosophical hymns (in prose) or declamations, of interest for studies in neo-Platonism, Mithraism, and the cult of the Magna Mater in the Roman world. The satirical Caesars and Misopogon, Beard-hater, are also in Volume II. The Letters (more than eighty, Volume III) include edicts or rescripts, mostly about Christians, encyclical or pastoral letters to priests, and private letters. Lastly in Volume III are the fragments of the work Against the Galilaeans (the Christians), written mainly to show that evidence for the idea of Christianity is lacking in the Old Testament.

Genres: History, Philosophy

511 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 362

About the author

Julian (Flavius Claudius Iulianus) "the Apostate", Roman Emperor, lived 331 or 332 to 363 CE. Born and educated in Constantinople as a Christian, after a precarious childhood he devoted 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 court at Milan, entitled him "Caesar", and made him governor of Gaul. Julian restored Gaul to prosperity and good government after the ravages of the Alamanni (he overthrew them at the battle of Strassburg in 357) and other Germans. Between 357 and 361 Julian's own soldiers, refusing to serve in the East at Constantius's orders, nearly involved Julian in war with Constantius—who however died in 361 so that Julian became sole Emperor of the Roman world. He began many reforms and proclaimed universal toleration in religion but pressed for the restoration of the older pagan worships. In 362–363 he prepared at Constantinople and then at Antioch for his expedition against Persia ruled by Shapur II. He died of a wound received in desperate battle.

Reviews

[Evan Leach]

The Emperor Julian (or Julian the Apostate) is best known for being the last pagan emperor of Rome. For a handful of years in the mid-fourth century, Julian attempted to roll back Constantine's reforms and reinstate paganism as the official, state-sponsored religion. However, an ill-fated invasion of Persia cost Julian his life after a brief reign of just over three years. We can only speculate how successful Julian's religious programs would have been had he enjoyed a longer rule.

In addition to his role as a statesman, Julian had a very real love of literature and philosophy. A number of his personal writings have survived into modern times; this volume collects about a third of his extant work. Unfortunately this volume, which contains five orations, does not present Julian at his best. The first three orations are panegyrics praising Constantius (Julian's cousin and the emperor preceding him) and Constantius' wife, Eusebia. These are fairly formulaic kowtows to the glory and accomplishments of the ruling king and queen, and these sophistic exercises are not much to the modern reader's taste. At least the oration to Eusebia has the benefit of sincerity; the pieces directed toward Constantius (whom Julian feared and loathed) are particularly empty examples of flattery.

The final two orations are hymns to the gods. These pieces are more interesting, as Julian spends some time discussing his philosophic and religious worldview. As a result, they are valuable windows into fourth century paganism. However, Julian's version of paganism is quite different from the classical paganism that the Romans of the Republic and early Empire would have espoused. In Julian's interpretation, the traditional pagan tales are (often rather complex) allegories. His religion is a tangled, esoteric amalgamation of traditional paganism, theurgy (or white magic), and neoplatonic philosophy. Readers familiar with Plotinus and Porphyry will see plenty of familiar concepts here; readers more familiar with paganism in its traditional guise will wonder if they are reading about the same religion at all.

Julian's role as the last pagan emperor of Rome has made him something of a romantic figure: the last standard bearer for a dying age. The truth, as usual, is more complex. Julian indeed rejected Christianity to embrace paganism, but on his own terms. He was a man of intellectual curiosity and appears to have had a genuine passion for philosophy and self-improvement. However, these orations do not make for scintillating reading, and they may not be the best representations of his thought. 2.0 stars.

[samiya]

idc that this was for uni it’s being ADDED!