The Last Pagan Emperor of Rome

The man who tried to stop the tide of Christianity

(Public domain)

Constantine the Great is most famously known for making Christianity the predominant religion of the Roman Empire. Constantine created the enduring symbol of the Chi Rho, which he claimed to see in the sky before his fateful battle at Milvian Bridge. Constantine fervently adorned his armies with the symbol denoting the power of Jesus Christ. He also set a precedent that all future emperors would follow. The emperor would be Christian. Every emperor after Constantine would continue in this tradition and adhere to the Christian faith. All save for one.

Out of the forty or so emperors that reigned after Constantine, just one would proclaim themselves to be a pagan. The man’s name was Julian, and he was a nephew of Constantine. Julian saw Christianity as a pox on the empire, and he strongly believed that Rome would ultimately fall if it did not return to its traditional roots of pagan worship and state religion. Unfortunately for Julian, he learned quickly that the Jesus genie had already escaped the bottle and that there was no way to put it back in. But that didn’t stop him from trying.

Julian embarked on an ambitious path during his short time as emperor. He engaged in a series of conquests aimed at bringing glory back to Rome. He also enacted a series of…