Julian the Apostate

Latin Roman Name: Flavius Claudius Julianus

Reigned as Roman Emperor / Caesar: Reigned as Caesar: 6 November 355 - February 360 the joint ruler as Augustus February 360 - 3 November 361 and finally as sole Augustus: 3 November 361 - 26 June 363

Dynasty / Historical Period: The Constantinian dynasty (285 - 364) also called the Neo-Flavian period

Date of Birth: Julian the Apostate was born May or June 332AD in Constantinople

Name of previous Emperor: His predecessor or the Emperor before Julian the Apostate was Constantius II

Family connections / Genealogy
 *** Name of Father: Julius Constantius
 *** Name of Mother: Basilina
 *** Married: Helena

Half-brother of Constantius Gallus
 *** Cousins:
 ***  *** Crispus
 ***  *** Constantine II
 ***  *** Constantius II
 ***  *** Constans

Place and Date of Death: Julian the Apostate died 26 June 363 at Maranga in Mesopotamia

For the names of the next Roman emperors in the East and the West of the Empire refer to the Timeline of Roman Emperors

Why was he called Julian the Apostate?
Julian the Apostate was known by this name because of his rejection of Christianity in favour of the old Roman gods and his attempt to rid the empire of Christianity. Julian was the last non-Christian Roman Emperor.

The Family of Julian the Apostate
Obtain a fast overview of the times of the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate from the following facts and information about his life. Julian the Apostate was the nephew of the emperor Constantine the Great and the cousin of his sons, who succeeded the famous emperor: Crispus, Constantine II, Constantius II and Constans. Three of the brothers died an early death leaving only Constantius II who he dreaded his young cousin Julian, the only relation he had left. Julian was full of spirit and ability, and Emperor Constantius II thought it best to keep him at a distance by sending him to fight the Germans on the borders of Gaul. There Julian was so successful and was such a favorite with the soldiers, that Emperor Constantius II sent to recall him. This only made the army proclaim Julian the Emperor. Julian set out with the army across the Danube country towards Constantinople, but on the way received the news that Constantius II had died of a fever November 3, 361 AD.

Interesting facts about the life of Julian the Apostate
Why was Julian the Apostate famous? Accomplishments, achievements and important events. Julian had studied at Athens, and it seemed to him that the old Greek philosophy seemed to him far grander than the Christianity that showed itself in the lives of Constantius and his courtiers. Although baptised a Christian he never really believed in this new religion. Julian wore simple clothes and had the manners of a philosopher. He was free from vice, possessed considerable learning and wrote a work of some value, in which he compared and studied the characters of the long line of his predecessors. Julian resolved to restore the ancient form of religion. He sacrificed to the pagan gods, rebuilt their temples, revived the practice of augury or divination. In order to mortify the Christians, he resolved to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem, and restore the Jews to their ancient seat. But some natural phenomenon interposed; the workmen were driven away by balls of fire, and Julian abandoned this project. Except for his hostility toward the Christians, whose faith he had once professed, Julian seems to have made a sincere attempt to improve the condition of his people. He lived with frugality, rewarded merit, and encouraged learning, except where it was employed in the defence of Christianity. He was also successful in his wars against the Germans and the Persians. Julian was eventually defeated by the Persians and was killed A.D. 363 on June 26th. His successor was Jovian who was the general present at the time of his death.