Hello, and welcome to the history of Rome.

Episode 145, Julian the Apostate.

In November of 361 AD, Constantius II died and Julian, last of the Constantinians, in

Herod of the Empire.

It would be an ironic end to the dynasty.

At least, I'm pretty sure it's ironic, sometimes I think that no situation actually

fits the technical definition of irony, and that the word just sort of hangs out in the

linguistic ether singing a siren song that's designed to crash the unsuspecting against

the jagged rocks of pedantry, but I'm pretty sure it's ironic.

Julian began the dynasty by single-handedly launching Christianity to prominence, and

his nephew would end it by attempting to single-handedly turn back the clock and bury Christianity.

That's ironic, right?

It sure seems ironic, but it's probably just interesting.

When Julian received word that his cousin was dead, I have to imagine that it took a few

minutes for the news to sink in.

There he was, hunkered down in thrace, and ready to make what was very possibly shaping

up to be his last stand, and instead, Constantius is dead, and I am now emperor.

Like an approaching hurricane that just sort of transforms at the last moment into a pleasant

sunny day, it takes a second to fully appreciate what the heck has just happened.

But after the first few minutes of blinking wonder past, Julian wasted no time completely

embracing his imperial windfall.

It appears that he had been thinking for a while about what he would do if he became

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