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THE soldiery being thrown into extreme perplexity by an event so
unexpected, and without delay, on the following day proclaimed Jovian
emperor, a person alike distinguished for his courage and birth. He
was a military tribune when Julian put forth an edict giving his
officers the option of either sacrificing or resigning their rank in the
army, and chose rather to lay down his commission, than to obey the
mandate of an impious prince. Julian, however, being pressed by the
urgency of the war which was before him, retained him among his
generals. On being saluted emperor, he positively declined to accept
the sovereign power: and when the soldiers brought him forward by
force, he declared that 'being a Christian, he did not wish to reign
over a people who chose to adopt paganism as their religion.' They
all then with one voice answered that they also were Christians: upon
which he accepted the imperial dignity. Perceiving himself suddenly
left in very difficult circumstances, in the midst of the Persian
territory, where his army was in danger of perishing for want of
necessaries, he agreed to terminate the war, even on terms by no means
honorable to the glory of the Roman name, but rendered necessary by
the exigencies of the crisis. Submitting therefore to the loss of the
government of Syria, and giving up also Nisibis, a city of
Mesopotamia, he withdrew from their territories. The announcement of
these things gave fresh hope to the Christians; while the pagans
vehemently bewailed Julian's death. Nevertheless the whole army
reprobated his intemperate heat, and ascribed to his rashness in
listening to the wily reports of a Persian deserter, the humiliation
of ceding the territories lost: for being imposed upon by the
statements of this fugitive, he was induced to burn the ships which
supplied them with provisions by water, by which means they were
exposed to all the horrors of famine. Then also Libanius composed a
funeral oration on him, which he designated Julianus, or Epitaph,
wherein he celebrates with lofty encomiums almost all his actions; but
in referring to the books which Julian wrote against the Christians,
he says that he has therein clearly demonstrated the ridiculous and
trifling character of their sacred books. Had this sophist contented
himself with extolling the emperor's other acts, I should have
quietly proceeded with the course of my history; but since this famous
rhetorician has thought proper to take occasion to inveigh against the
Scriptures of the Christian faith, we also propose to pause a little
and in a brief review consider his words.
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