The Last Pagan: Julian the Apostate and the Death of the Ancient World (Paperback)

by Adrian Murdoch (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
“A thoroughly engaging book about one of the fourth century’s most interesting emperors.”
(The Journal of Classics Teaching )

“Keenly paced and beautifully written . . . quite simply one of the best historical biographies of the year.”
(Catholic Herald )

“Friendly to its controversial subject and an easy read.”
(Church Times )

"Although this is a book written for the general reading public, and not particularly aimed at Pagan readership, it contains a wealth of information concerning Pagan/Christian relations. It also shows a number of concerns expressed by Julian that are still valid today. . . . This is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it to everyone." (
Michael Gleason, Witchgrove.com, May 08 )

"An eye-opening alternate history uses over 700 pages of Julian's original writings to provide some eye-opening new revelations on his beliefs." (
The Midwest Book Review, July 2008 )

"Murdoch, a Roman historian, sees the short reign of Julian as the real end of ancient Rome. His biography of the young emperor is based on Julian's own words, the angry response of Christian writers, and the comments of other pagans." (
Book News, Inc., Aug 2008
)

"With the current end of the Twentieth Century we are also witnessing the death throes of the most influential religious movements of the last twenty centuries--Christianity and Islam. . . . This end of the Christian Era as some call it, is however, not without its own dangers and precedence. By looking back to the early centuries of the Christian Era, we can in fact, get a better understanding of its origins and what may be awaiting us in the future. . . " (
Institute of Hermetic Studies, Aug 2008 )

Product Description
A history of Julian, the grandson of Constantine, and his failed attempt to reverse the Christian tide that swept the Roman Empire

• Portrays the “Apostate” as a poet-philosopher, arguing that had he survived, Christianity would have been checked in its rise

• Details reforms enacted by Julian during his two-year reign that marginalized Christians, effectively limiting their role in the social and political life of the Empire

• Shows how after Julian’s death the Church used paganism to represent evil and opposition to God, a tactic whose traces still linger

The violent death of the emperor Julian (Flavius Claudius Julianus, AD 332-363) on a Persian battlefield has become synonymous with the death of paganism. Vilified throughout history as the “Apostate,” the young philosopher-warrior was the last and arguably the most potent threat to Christianity.

The Last Pagan examines Julian’s journey from an aristocratic Christian childhood to his initiation into pagan cults and his mission to establish paganism as the dominant faith of the Roman world. Julian’s death, only two years into his reign, initiated a culture-wide suppression by the Church of all things it chose to identify as pagan. Only in recent decades, with the weakening of the Church’s influence and the resurgence of paganism, have the effects of that suppression begun to wane. Drawing upon more than 700 pages of Julian’s original writings, Adrian Murdoch shows that had Julian lived longer our history and our present-day culture would likely be very different.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Inner Traditions (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594772266
• ISBN-13: 978-1594772269
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #647,669 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very humane insight into this mysterious historical figure, September 24, 2004

By	Guillo (Danville, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Pagan: Julian the Apostate and the Death of the Ancient World (Hardcover)

An easy-to-read biography that presents Julian from a different perspective. Julian, the human being. A man trapped between 2 worlds. A man that dreams of bringing back the Old Roman glory and traditions. A man who perhaps would have succeeded if not for a twist of fate.
It is obvious that there was a substantial amount of research on the author's part. In my opinion, this book makes for great reading even if biographies or history are not the reader's cup of tea. "Talle lege!"

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Popular History, June 18, 2004

By	Leon Napo "umpherous" (Carbondale, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Pagan: Julian the Apostate and the Death of the Ancient World (Hardcover)

At first, I did not like the popular approach to this history of Julian the Apostate; however, by the time I finished, I realized that the popular style is really what the author brings to the discussion of Julian, especially in the last chapter. For example, we are given a modern travelogue to Julian's life and military campaigns. I can now retrace Julian's routes through Europe to Asia Minor (should I ever get the itch). The last chapter gives a short account of historical, artistic, and literary work on the subject of Julian, many of which I was not familiar with. However, he strangely omits recent historical accounts by G.W. Bowerstock, Athanassiadi Polymnia, or Roland Smith.

The author offers a balanced historical account of Julian's life, discussing his strengths and weaknesses; however, there is not much new in the way of analysis or historical facts. Regardless, I enjoyed the read, although some of the modern analogies were a bit stretched.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An original and insightful account, January 20, 2005

By	S. Atkinson (Bristol) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Last Pagan: Julian the Apostate and the Death of the Ancient World (Hardcover)

As a "lettered academic", I would have to disagree with Mr Clarkson's review. I found this text to be readable and entertaining, as well as thoroughly and accurately researched. Adrian Murdoch has accepted the challenge to historians to do more than merely report history, but to offer some analysis and interpretation of events. I would recommend his study to those interested both in this specific historical period, and in the development of Western religious thought.