Julian the Apostate

Posted on September 9, 2007 in Biography Myths & Mysticism Reading

From A History of Pagan Europe by Prudence Jones and Nigel Pennick:

….Constantius died on 3 November 361, naming Julian as his successor, and the new emperor marched into Constantinople on 11 December, 361. He did not institute a massacre of the Christians, which led them to complain that they had been cheated of martyrdom. He reduced corruption in the administration, repealed the laws of religious persecution, but prevented Christians from serving in the army (because their law forbade killing), from receiving grants and gifts (because their religion preached poverty) and from using Pagan texts in schoolbooks (because Pagan myths demonstrated Pagan ethics, which could only mislead Christian children). It is unclear whether these rulings were superbly cynical or naively sincere. (pp. 70-71)

I think I would have liked this guy. We could use him here and now, don’t you think?

[tags]paganism,roman history,history,spirituality,christianity[/tags]