Ecclesiastical History — Book Iii

St. Jerome

1. Of the reign of Julianus; how from a child he was brought up in piety and lapsed into impiety; and in what manner, though at first he kept his impiety secret, he afterwards laid it bare
2. Of the return of the bishopsand the consecration of Paulinus
3. Of the number and character of the deeds done by Pagans against the Christianswhen they got the power from Julian
4. Of the laws made by Julian against the Christians
5. Of the fourth exile and flight of the holy Athanasius
6. Of Apollo and Daphne, and of the holy Babylas
7. Of Theodorus the Confessor
8. Of the confiscation of the sacred treasures and taking away of the allowances.
9. Of what befell Julianus, the Emperor's Uncle, and Felix
10. Of the Son of the Priest
11. Of the Holy Martyrs Juventinus and Maximinus
12. Of Valentinianus the great Emperor
13. Of other confessors
14. Of Artemius the Duke. Of Publia the Deaconess and her divine boldness
15. Of the Jews; of their attempt at building, and of the heaven-sent plagues that befel them
16. Of the expedition against the Persians
17. Of the boldness of speech of the decurion of Berœa.
18. Of the prediction of the pedagogue
19. Of the Prophecy of St. Julianus the monk
20. Of the death of the Emperor Julian in Persia
21. Of the sorcery at Carræ which was detected after his death. After he was slain the jugglery of his sorcery was detected. For Carræ is a city which still retains the relics of his false religion
22. Of the heads discovered in the palace at Antioch and the public rejoicings there

Constantius, as has been narrated, departed this life groaning and grieving that he had been turned away from the faith of his father. Julian heard the news of his end as he was crossing from Europe into Asia and assumed the sovereignty with delight at having now no rival.

In his earlier days, while yet a lad, Julian had, as well as Gallus his brother, imbibed pure and pious teaching.

In his youth and earlier manhood he continued to take in the same doctrine. Constantius, dreading lest his kinsfolk should aspire to imperial power, slew them; and Julian, through fear of his cousin, was enrolled in the order of Readers, and used to read aloud the sacred books to the people in the assemblies of the church.

He also built a martyr's shrine; but the martyrs, when they beheld his apostasy, refused to accept the offering; for in consequence of the foundations being, like their founder's mind, unstable, the edifice fell down before it was consecrated. Such were the boyhood and youth of Julian. At the period, however, when Constantius was setting out for the West, drawn there by the war against Magnentius, he made Gallus, who was gifted with piety which he retained to the end, Cæsar of the East. Now Julian flung away the apprehensions which had previously stood him in good stead, and, moved by unrighteous confidence, set his heart on seizing the sceptre of empire. Accordingly, on his way through Greece, he sought out seers and soothsayers, with a desire of learning if he should get what his soul longed for. He met with a man who promised to predict these things, conducted him into one of the idol temples, introduced him within the shrine, and called upon the demons of deceit. On their appearing in their wonted aspect terror compelled Julian to make the sign of the cross upon his brow. They no sooner saw the sign of the Lord's victory than they were reminded of their own rout, and immediately fled away. On the magician becoming acquainted with the cause of their flight he blamed him; but Julian confessed his terror, and said that he wondered at the power of the cross, for that the demons could not endure to see its sign and ran away. Think not anything of the sort, good sir; said the magician, they were not afraid as you make out, but they went away because they abominated what you did. So he tricked the wretched man, initiated him in the mysteries, and filled him with their abominations.

So lust of empire stripped the wretch of all true religion. Nevertheless after attaining the supreme power he concealed his impiety for a considerable time; for he was specially apprehensive about the troops who had been instructed in the principles of true religion, first by the illustrious Constantine who freed them from their former error and trained them in the ways of truth, and afterwards by his sons, who confirmed the instruction given by their father. For if Constantius, led astray by those under whose influence he lived, did not admit the term ὁ μοούσιον, at a