Julian (331–363)
Born 331 CE, died 363 CE.
Julian (Latin: Flavius Claudius Julianus; Ancient Greek: Ἰουλιανός Ioulianos; 331 – 26 June 363) was Caesar of Western Rome from 355 to 360 and Roman emperor from 361 to 363, as well as a notable philosopher and author in Greek. His rejection of Christianity, public conversion to paganism, and promotion of Neoplatonic Hellenism caused him to be remembered as Julian the Apostate in the Christian tradition. A nephew of Constantine the Great, Julian was one of few in the imperial family to survive the purges and civil wars during the reign of Constantius II, his cousin. Julian was orphaned as a child after his father was executed in 337 and spent much of his life under Constantius' close supervision. However, the emperor allowed Julian freedom to pursue an education in the Greek-speaking east. In 355, Constantius II appointed Julian to govern Gaul; his rule was successful, defeating and countering Germanic raids across the Rhine and encouraging the provinces' return to prosperity. In 360, he was proclaimed emperor by his soldiers at Lutetia (Paris), sparking a civil war with Constantius.
Text from the Wikipedia article Julian_(emperor), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.