This Week in Christian History: Julian the Apostate, Geronimo and John Wesley
Julian the Apostate died on June 26, 363
This week marks the anniversary of the death of the last pagan Roman Emperor, Julian the Apostate, which took place at a battle in modern day Iraq on June 26, 363.
A nephew of Emperor Constantine, the leader who legalized Christianity earlier that century, Julian became emperor in 361 and proclaimed himself an enemy of Christianity, officially converting to paganism.
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"Julian apparently saw himself as the head of a pagan church. He performed animal sacrifices and was a staunch defender of a sort of pagan orthodoxy, issuing doctrinal instructions to his clergy," noted Britannica.
"Not surprisingly, this incipient fanaticism soon led from apparent toleration to outright suppression and persecution of Christians. Pagans were openly preferred for high official appointments, and Christians were expelled from the army and prohibited from teaching classical literature and philosophy."
In a war against the Persians at a battle fought at Ctesiphon, Julian was fatally wounded and died at age 32. Reportedly, his last words were a Latin statement often rendered "Thou hast triumphed, O Galilean."
