[[File:Solidus Julian-transparent.png|thumb|300px|Solidus of Julian]]
'''Julian the Apostate''', or '''Julian''' (full name: ''Imperator Caesar Flavius Claudius Julianus Augustus'') (332–363), was [[Roman Emperor]] from 360-363. While rising to prominence under [[Constantius II]], son of [[Constantine]], who enlisted him as Caesar in the West in 355, Julian showed himself to be an outstanding military general. When Constantius ordered him to send troops for a war against Persia in 360, Julian protested and then his men refused to go and proclaimed him Emperor. Julian then marched against Constantius, who was preparing to meet him when he died along the way in 361. Julian became sole Emperor.

== Julian the Apostate ==

Julian is chiefly remembered for being the last [[Paganism|Pagan]] Emperor of Rome, Julian sought to undo the prominence that Christianity had achieved once it was legalized and instead revert to the old pagan ways. Christianity was suppressed once again and church lands were handed back to pagan temples. At the same time, Julian promoted [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] religious philosophies such as [[Neoplatonism]] and suggested that [[Hercules]] would make a suitable replacement for [[Jesus Christ]] for those who wished to adopt him as their patron. Because of his love of Greek culture, he was known as Julian the Hellene, though to the Christians he was known as Julian the Apostate. In 363 he invaded [[Persia]], but was mortally wounded in a minor skirmish when his camp was attacked at night because he went into battle without first putting on his armor.<ref>Encyclopedia of Military History, Dupuy & Dupuy, 1979 Pg. 154-155</ref> It was believed by some that he had been murdered by one of his own soldiers, a Christian. His supposed last words were ''Vicisti, Galilaee'' ("You have won, Galilean") – a reference to Jesus.

==References==
<References/>

[[Category:Roman Commanders]]
[[Category:Roman Emperors]]

Julian

2019-04-23T14:32:50Z

Impcaeaug: (Added Image)

[[File:Solidus Julian-transparent.png|thumb|300px|Solidus of Julian]]
'''Julian the Apostate''', or '''Julian''' (full name: ''Imperator Caesar Flavius Claudius Julianus Augustus'') (332–363), was [[Roman Emperor]] from 360-363. While rising to prominence under [[Constantius]], son of [[Constantine]], who enlisted him as Caesar in the West in 355, Julian showed himself to be an outstanding military general. When Constantius ordered him to send troops for a war against Persia in 360, Julian protested and then his men refused to go and proclaimed him Emperor. Julian then marched against Constantius, who was preparing to meet him when he died along the way in 361. Julian became sole Emperor.

== Julian the Apostate ==

Julian is chiefly remembered for being the last [[Paganism|Pagan]] Emperor of Rome, Julian sought to undo the prominence that Christianity had achieved once it was legalized and instead revert to the old pagan ways. Christianity was suppressed once again and church lands were handed back to pagan temples. At the same time, Julian promoted [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] religious philosophies such as [[Neoplatonism]] and suggested that [[Hercules]] would make a suitable replacement for [[Jesus Christ]] for those who wished to adopt him as their patron. Because of his love of Greek culture, he was known as Julian the Hellene, though to the Christians he was known as Julian the Apostate. In 363 he invaded [[Persia]], but was mortally wounded in a minor skirmish when his camp was attacked at night because he went into battle without first putting on his armor.<ref>Encyclopedia of Military History, Dupuy & Dupuy, 1979 Pg. 154-155</ref> It was believed by some that he had been murdered by one of his own soldiers, a Christian. His supposed last words were ''Vicisti, Galilaee'' ("You have won, Galilean") – a reference to Jesus.

==References==
<References/>

[[Category:Roman Commanders]]
[[Category:Roman Emperors]]

2019-03-13T14:03:42Z

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{{Rome}}
The '''Western Roman Empire''' was the Western Provinces of the [[Roman Empire]] primarily known as it's final form that resulted from the death of [[Theodosius I]] in AD 395. His death led to the final division of the Roman Empire. The West would be ruled by his younger son, [[Honorius]] and the East would be ruled by his older son, [[Arcadius]]. Honorius's youth, civil wars, barbarian migrations and scheming politicians in both parts of the Empire would lead to the Western Empire's disintegration and fall in AD 476 with the deposition of [[Romulus Augustulus|Romulus Augustus]] in [[Ravenna]]. The death of [[Julius Nepos]] in Dalmatia led to the final collapse of the Western Empire in
AD 480.

==Origins==
The Roman Empire was ruled by multiple Imperial Courts after the Roman Emperor [[Diocletian]] and [[Maximian]] split the Empire into two in AD 286 and eventually four administrative divisions ruled by four separate Imperial Courts led by two Caesares and two Augusti. The reason for this was that after the [[third-century crisis|crisis of the third century]], Diocletian felt that the Empire was too large for one man to govern. The Roman Emperor [[Constantine]] united the Empire after defeating his eastern counterpart [[Licinius]] in battle in AD 324. After his death in AD 337, Constantine's sons divided the Empire into three parts. But their inability to co-exist would lead into all but one of the brothers dying as a result of civil war and usurpation.

[[Constantius II]] who was originally the ruler of Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Asia Minor became the sole Augustus of the Roman Empire. Constantius would defeat in battle, the usurper Magnentius who had been proclaimed Emperor by the legions in the West since Constans, the former Emperor in the West was unpopular for seizing as much money as he could from his citizens and for being homosexual. Constans was murdered by supporters of [[Magnentius]]. Constantius made his cousin, [[Julian|Julian the Apostate]] Caesar and sent him to Gaul to be his representative. Julian became popular by winning battles and defending Gaul from barbarian invasions.

The troops would proclaim Julian, Augustus in Roman Paris after Constantius ordered for some of the Gallic Army to be sent East, to help fight the Persians and to weaken his cousin's position. Constantius died prematurely in AD 361 before his forces were able to meet in battle with Julian's. Julian became Emperor and ruled for a few years. He launched his fateful invasion of Persia in which he would die of mortal injury in AD 364. An Officer by the name of [[Jovian]] was elected as Emperor and he led the retreat initiated by Julian. However, he was compelled to relinquish key Roman territories to the Persians in Mesopotamia that would weaken the Roman East by taking away it's key defensive cities such as Nisibis.

Jovian died in Anatolia before reaching Constantinople. The Roman Army chose [[Valentinian I]] as Roman Emperor. He was an experienced commander who had been sent to premature retirement and exile after being blamed for a serious loss in Gaul and he offended Julian by striking a Pagan who sprinkled water on him. After being made Emperor, he made his [[Arian]] brother [[Valens]] Emperor of the [[Byzantine Empire|East]]. Valentinian, unlike his brother, was a supporter of [[Nicene Creed|Nicene Christianity]].

== State Religion ==
The official state religion of the Western Roman Empire until AD 380 was Roman Polytheism. It would lose its status in the reign of Constantine as the state preferred religion of the Empire. During the reign of Julian, Roman Paganism was restored as the state preferred religion until he died. Jovian who succeeded him was a Christian who restored Christianity's position as the state preferred religion.
In AD 380, Roman Emperors [[Valentinian II]], [[Gratian]], Theodosius I issued the [[Edict of Thessalonica]], which effectively made [[Nicene Creed|Nicene Christianity]] the State Religion and Church of the Roman Empire.

The Western Roman Empire led by the pagan influenced Eugenius restored Roman Paganism as the state preferred religion for the final time. Theodosius I led the Eastern Army to defeat the Western Army at the battle of Frigidus in AD 394 which ended the pagan revival and led to the triumph of Christianity. Heresies occurred throughout both halves of the Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries such as Pelagianism, Donatism and Arianism to list a few. These heresies weakened the Empire and these controversies proved to be very divisive.

== References ==
*Ammianus Marcellinus, ''Res Gestae''
*Zosimus, ''Historia Nova''
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Roman Empire]]