Julian: A Novel [Paperback]

Gore Vidal (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 12, 2003

The remarkable bestseller about the fourth-century Roman emperor who famously tried to halt the spread of Christianity, Julian is widely regarded as one of Gore Vidal’s finest historical novels.

Julian the Apostate, nephew of Constantine the Great, was one of the brightest yet briefest lights in the history of the Roman Empire. A military genius on the level of Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great, a graceful and persuasive essayist, and a philosopher devoted to worshipping the gods of Hellenism, he became embroiled in a fierce intellectual war with Christianity that provoked his murder at the age of thirty-two, only four years into his brilliantly humane and compassionate reign. A marvelously imaginative and insightful novel of classical antiquity, Julian captures the religious and political ferment of a desperate age and restores with blazing wit and vigor the legacy of an impassioned ruler.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“High entertainment.” —The New York Times Book Review

“A subtle, provoking, enthralling book. . . . Vidal’s ability to invoke a world is amazing.” —The Christian Science Monitor

“Simply great. . . . A truly monumental novel.” —Associated Press

“Historical fiction in the true, honorable sense. . . . Full of vivid, richly wrought fictional detail.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Impressive. . . . To the formidable task which Vidal sets himself, he brings an easy and fluent gift for narrative; a theatrical sense of scene and dramatic occasion; and a revealing eye and ear for character delineation–to say nothing of wide reading.” –Newsweek

“A real hero. . . . An excellent book.” –Chicago Daily News

“Gore Vidal has the sharpest sense of what political power consists of, how it is achieved and what it does to a man. And at the same time he is funny, roaringly funny. . . . Julian is a brilliant beacon of light in the dim grey landscape of the historical novel.” –Louis Auchincloss

“A brilliant study of Julian’s era. . . . That rare historical novel which enjoys all the virtues of good history and good fiction.” –Washington Star

“No odder figure ever guided the destinies of the Roman Empire than the Emperor Julian Augustus. Here was a recluse and a scholar who became a great military leader, an ascetic who preached the life of the senses, a fatalist who believed he would remake the world. . . . He is endlessly fascinating.” –Time

From the Inside Flap

The remarkable bestseller about the fourth-century Roman emperor who famously tried to halt the spread of Christianity, Julian is widely regarded as one of Gore Vidal's finest historical novels.

Julian the Apostate, nephew of Constantine the Great, was one of the brightest yet briefest lights in the history of the Roman Empire. A military genius on the level of Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great, a graceful and persuasive essayist, and a philosopher devoted to worshipping the gods of Hellenism, he became embroiled in a fierce intellectual war with Christianity that provoked his murder at the age of thirty-two, only four years into his brilliantly humane and compassionate reign. A marvelously imaginative and insightful novel of classical antiquity, Julian captures the religious and political ferment of a desperate age and restores with blazing wit and vigor the legacy of an impassioned ruler.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; Reprint edition (August 12, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 037572706X
• ISBN-13: 978-0375727061
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (88 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #225,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gore Vidal has received the National Book Award, written numerous novels, short stories, plays and essays. He has been a political activist and as Democratic candidate for Congress from upstate New York, he received the most votes of any Democrat in a half-century.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 74 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars good insight and generally accurate history May 3, 1998

By J. K. Kelley

Format:Mass Market Paperback

In keeping with my belief that one should clearly label one's biases, let it be known that I am not only a pagan myself but that Julian Augustus is my personal folk hero.

_Julian_ covers the time leading up to, as well as including, the reign of Julian the Apostate. Several dynamics were present: his precarious youth as a potential threat to the Roman throne of Constantius, his strong philosophical leanings toward Hellenism, and his personal courage, among others. Vidal incorporates all of these factors, which shaped Julian's character, to weave a portrait of this emperor.

One of the more entertaining aspects of the book is that much of it is a letter exchange between Libanius (Julian's prinicpal contemporary biographer) and Priscus (a philosopher of sorts and adherent of Julian) after Julian's untimely death in Persia. We thus are treated to humourously scathing margin notes by Libanius, generally expressing disdain for Priscus, who seems to be covering his posterior and his pocketbook. A lot of the book is Julian's memoirs themselves. It's an interesting and creative way to write a book, and a tribute to Vidal that it flows smoothly.

The book would be incomplete without speculation on the real reason for Julian's death (besides the fact that he took a spear in the chest while wearing no breastplate, which is historical fact). I will spare you the spoiler; suffice it to say that this part is something to look forward to. I cannot easily refute the claim that is made when they get to it.

If you like the late Roman Empire, are interested in Julian himself, or simply enjoy a good historical novel, _Julian_ is a bargain.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Julian: A character of contradictions December 21, 2005

By R. McOuat

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I consider Julian to be a romantic novel more than a historic document. The book serves two purposes for Vidal; one, depict the Apostate Julian as a tragic hero in true Hellenistic style, and two, provide a modern criticism of Christianity. The period of Constantine (Julian's Uncle) through Julian's death marks the foundation and development of Christianity, and it is no coincidence that Vidal chooses a hero from this era to create his epic novel. The main narrator of the story is Julian himself, through his personal memoirs. However, two rival philosophers, Libanius and Priscus, regularly intercede with their personal notes. The perspective of three chroniclers broadens the capacity of the novel so that Julian can give his personal views, but events can also be editorialized from alternative angles.

Julian is a character of contrasts. Although raised by Christian monks, he becomes a champion of paganism. An affinity for philosophy, he becomes famous for his military prowess. He claims to be an intellectual, but his obsession with superstition drives all his decisions. Like a classic Hellenistic hero, Julian has an Achilles heel: his predisposition for craving for the vague and incomprehensible mysteries. Hence, he falls victim to Maximus, a character analogous to Rasputin in the Russian tragedy of Nicholas and Alexandra. During Julian's ascent to power and subsequent reign, Maximus is a ubiquitous presence to assist Julian in interpreting omens in a manner that benefits Maximus. Generally, Maximus seems to have two influences over Julian. First, he reinforces any omen that tells Julian to resuscitate the ancient pagan gods, and, second, to be the next Alexander by conquering Asia, starting with Persia.

With regard to Vidal's criticism of Christianity, Julian undergoes a change over the course of his life (much due to the cajoling of Maximus). Julian and his brother, Gallus, were raised by Bishops, Eusebius and Gregory. However, Julian quickly develops a disdain for the "Galileans" and spends his life restoring paganism. Some of Julian's observations regarding Christianity are quoted below (page numbers may not align with all editions, but can be used to help find relative positions):

"A religion of brotherhood and mildness which daily murders those who disagree with its doctrines can only be thought hypocrite, or worse." (pp. 31)

"The Christians wish to replace our beautiful legends with the police record of a reforming Jewish rabbi. Out of this unlikely material they hope to make a final synthesis of all the religions ever known. They borrow from our mystery rites, particularly those of Mithras." (pp. 81).

"The search is the whole point to philosophy and the religious experience. It is part of the Galilean impiety to proclaim that the search ended three hundred years ago when a young rabbi was executed for treason. But according to Paul of Tarsus, Jesus was no ordinary rabbi or even messiah; he was the One God himself who rose from the dead in order to judge the world immediately. In fact, Jesus is quoted as having assured his followers that some of them would be alive when the day of judging arrived. But one by one the disciples died in the natural course and we are still waiting for that promised day. Meanwhile, the bishops amass property, persecute one another, and otherwise revel in this life, while the state is weekend and on our borders the barbarians gather like winter wolves..." (pp. 285).

"By the time Constantine, Constantius and the horde of bishops got through with Jesus, little of his original message was left. Every time they hold a synod they move further away from the man's original teaching." (pp. 288)

As Augustus, Julian states that "no one shall ever be hurt by me because of his faith" but indicts the gathered bishops with lists of their latest crimes and calls them hypocrites. (pp.291)

"The Christians do not offer enough, though I must say they are outrageously bold in the way they adapt our most sacred rituals and festivals to their own ends. A clear sign that their religion is a false one, improvised by man over time, rather than born naturally of eternity." (pp. 331).

Julian is truly an epic novel. So rich with detail and elaborate characters, Vidal takes you to 350 AD. The political forces are delineated as if they were in today's newspaper's headlines. For a more explicit and forthright exposition of Vidal's criticism of Christianity, I would recommend "Live from Golgotha: The Gospel According to Gore Vidal." In that novel, Vidal lampoons biblical characters as they construct the modern testaments to Jesus.

72 of 79 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars APOSTATE January 14, 2005

By DAVID BRYSON TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

The fourth century AD is a period I have never known much about. The first I ever heard about the emperor Julian the Apostate was actually the unflattering caricature by St Gregory Nazianzen, quoted here again in the novel. There is a plus-side and there is a minus-side to reading a historical novel from ignorance of the background, the plus-side being obviously that one is not distracted from appreciating it for what it is - creative writing. I feel sure the downside outweighs that, all the same. There is obviously considerable erudition behind this book, and if I ever improve my grasp of the background I would expect to find real historical insights, whatever the author may have adapted, removed or added. What is clear to me is that Vidal at least thinks as a genuine historian - his narrative is about the right things that should go into a historical analysis.

The novel is partly concerned with rehabilitating Julian, but it is about more than that, indeed about more than his life-story altogether. It is about early Christianity and the mind-sets that went with that. Julian was appalled by Christianity, and so, quite evidently, is Vidal. For him, early Christianity was a noxious perversion of human thought-processes. Christianity of this period tried to enforce beliefs, and would stop at nothing in the process. This should make us pause to ask - how can any belief be obligatory? Only our actions can be subject to our own will, let alone anyone else's, and holding a belief is not an action. There is a restricted sense in which it could be described as that, namely the sense in which `holding' means `propounding', as in a book or a lecture. In more normal usage to `hold' a belief is just to `have' a belief, and we either do or do not believe something - it's a state of affairs like having a headache, not a voluntary or enforceable act like holding a sword or holding a meeting. On top of that there is the question - what, if anything, did the doctrines the Christians were slaughtering one another over even mean? The doctrine of the Trinity was something to kill for, it seems. Even in my time the answer to rational questioning was that some `truths' (in whatever sense) were above reason but revealed by God, but of course one had to take someone's word for that. It was all of a piece with mortification of the flesh and repression of natural instincts, as Vidal quietly implies - any faculties, brain or body, that the Creator may have given us, presumably to use, were not only suspect but evil and those who saw the matter otherwise would be dealt with, as Julian himself was finally dealt with at the age of 32.

The book ends with a fascinating question left suspended, as much good history does. Julian was killed in his early prime, through treachery by one of his own officers, at Ctesiphon on the Tigris, the scene of new unresolved issues even as I write. He had made a serious error in that battle, the first of his brilliant military career, but all was not lost by any means. If he had lived out a natural lifespan, or even postponed being murdered for some years, would he have stopped Christianity in its tracks throughout the Roman empire? Vidal does not go into the question of its origin in any depth, but what he highlights clearly is that it was unique among religions in being new. The associated myths and legends that in other faiths had grown up gradually from the dawn of time were being strenuously created for Christianity at top speed and even more strenuously enforced. Julian and his author saw it as still having only shallow roots, but it was an idea whose time had come, it commanded fierce loyalty as Julian's own beliefs did not, and the odds must have been against him.

Julian's reign is well documented, not least by himself, and the story rests on his own accounts supplemented by those of two familiars. The narrative is accomplished, the writing style elegant and often ironic and witty as one would expect. However the reasons that led Vidal to put nearly five years of his life into writing about Julian in particular go far beyond the availability of copious source-material. There is nothing mysterious about these reasons - the author makes them abundantly clear. The real mystery, as he leaves me in no doubt either, is how human beings in the mass manage to think the way they seem to.