Last Pagan : Julian the Apostate and the Death of the Ancient World

The emperor Julian was the nephew of Constantine, who made Christianity the state religion of Rome. Julian, however, had converted to paganism and when he gained power in 361 he ordered the temples reopened and the old gods worshipped again. Murdoch, a Roman historian, sees the short reign of Julian as the real end of ancient Rome. His biography of the young emperor is based on the Julian’s own words, the angry response of Christian writers and the comments of other pagans. He clearly admires Julian but still gives a balanced portrait of this crucial moment in Western history. Julian, he notes, died in battle eighteen months after becoming emperor. If he had lived longer, perhaps there would still be temples to Isis and Jupiter in every town. Annotation √•¬©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)