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Immediately after the death of Constantius, the dread of a
persecution arose in the Church, and Christians suffered more anguish
from the anticipation of this calamity than they would have experienced
from its actual occurrence. This state of feeling proceeded from the
fact that a long interval had made them unaccustomed to such dangers,
and from the remembrance of the tortures which had been exercised by the
tyrants upon their fathers, and from their knowledge of the hatred with
which the emperor regarded their doctrines. It is said that he openly
renounced the faith of Christ so entirely, that he by sacrifices and
expiations, which the pagans call renunciatory, and by the blood of
animals, purged himself of our baptism. From that period he employed
himself in auguries and in the celebration of the pagan rites, both
publicly and privately. It is related that one day, as he was
inspecting the entrails of a victim, he beheld among them a cross
encompassed with a crown. This appearance terrified those who were
assisting in the ceremony, for they judged that it indicated the
strength of religion, and the eternal duration of the Christian
doctrines; inasmuch as the crown by which it was encircled is the
symbol of victory, and because of its continuity, for the circle
beginning everywhere and ending in itself, has no limits in any
direction. The chief augur commanded Julian to be of good cheer,
because in his judgment the victims were propitious, and since they
surrounded the symbol of the Christian doctrine, and was indeed
pushing into it, so that it would not spread and expand itself where it
wished, since it was limited by the circumference of the circle.
I have also heard that one day Julian descended into a most noted and
terrific adytum, either for the purpose of participating in some
initiation, or of consulting an oracle; and that, by means of
machinery which is devised for this end, or of enchantments, such
frightful specters were projected suddenly before him, that through
perturbation and fear, he became forgetful of those who were present,
for he had turned to his new religion when already a man, and so
unconsciously fell into his earlier habit, and signed himself with the
symbol of Christ, just as the Christian encompassed with untried
dangers is wont to do. Immediately the specters disappeared and their
designs were frustrated. The initiator was at first surprised at
this, but when apprised of the cause of the flight of the demons, he
declared that the act was a profanation; and after exhorting the
emperor to be courageous and to have no recourse in deed or thought to
anything connected with the Christian religion, he again conducted him
to the initiation. The zeal of the king for such matters saddened the
Christians not a little and made them extremely anxious, more
especially as he had been himself formerly a Christian. He was born
of pious parents, had been initiated in infancy according to the custom
of the Church, and had been brought up in the knowledge of the Holy
Scriptures, and was nurtured by bishops and men of the Church. He
and Gallus were the sons of Constantius, the brother by the same
father of Constantine the emperor, and of Dalmatius. Dalmatius had
a son of the same name, who was declared Caesar, and was slain by the
soldiery after the death of Constantine. His fate would have been
shared by Gallus and Julian, who were then orphans, had not Gallus
been spared on account of a disease under which he was laboring, and
from which, it was supposed, that he would soon naturally die; and
Julian, on account of his extreme youth, for he was but eight years
of age. After this wonderful preservation, a residence was assigned
to the two brothers in a palace called Macellum, situated in
Cappadocia; this imperial post was near Mount Argeus, and not far
from Caesarea; it contained a magnificent palace and was adorned with
baths, gardens, and perennial fountains. Here they were cultured and
educated in a manner corresponding to the dignity of their birth; they
were taught the sciences and bodily exercises befitting their age, by
masters of languages and interpreters of the Holy Scriptures, so that
they were enrolled among the clergy, and read the ecclesiastical books
to the people. Their habits and actions indicated no dereliction from
piety. They respected the clergy and other good people and persons
zealous for doctrine; they repaired regularly to church and rendered
due homage to the tombs of the martyrs.
It is said that they undertook to deposit the tomb of St. Mammas the
martyr in a large edifice, and to divide the labor between themselves,
and that while they were trying to excel one another in a rivalry of
honor, an event occurred which was so astonishing that it would indeed
be utterly incredible were it not for the testimony of many who are
still among us, who heard it from those who were eyewitnesses of the
transaction.
The part of the edifice upon which Gallus labored advanced rapidly and
according to wish, but of the section upon which Julian labored, a
part fell into ruin; another was projected upward from the earth; a
third immediately on its touching the foundation could not be held
upright, but was hurled backward as if some resistant and strong force
from beneath were pushing against it.
This was universally regarded as a prodigy. The people, however,
drew no conclusion from it till subsequent events manifested its
import. There were a few who from that moment doubted the reality of
Julian's religion, and suspected that he only made an outward
profession of piety for fear of displeasing the emperor, who was then a
Christian, and that he concealed his own sentiments because it was not
safe to divulge them. It is asserted that he was first secretly led to
renounce the religion of his fathers by his intercourse with diviners;
for when the resentment of Constantius against the two brothers was
abated, Gallus went to Asia, and took up his residence in Ephesus,
where the greater part of his property was situated; and Julian
repaired to Constantinople, and frequented the schools, where his
fine natural abilities and ready attainments in the sciences did not
remain concealed. He appeared in public in the garb of a private
individual, and had much company; but because he was related to the
emperor and was capable of conducting affairs and was expected to become
emperor, considerable talk about him to this effect was prevalent, as
is wont to be the case in a populous and imperial city, he was
commanded to retire to Nicomedia.
Here he became acquainted with Maximus, an Ephesian philosopher,
who instructed him in philosophy, and inspired him with hatred towards
the Christian religion, and moreover assured him that the much talked
of prophecy about him was true. Julian, as happens in many cases,
while suffering in anticipation of severe circumstances, was softened
by these favorable hopes and held Maximus as his friend. As these
occurrences reached the ears of Constantius, Julian became
apprehensive, and accordingly shaved himself, and adopted externally
the monkish mode of life, while he secretly held to the other
religion.
When he arrived at the age of manhood, he was more readily
infatuated, and yet was anxious about these tendencies; and admiring
the art (if there be such an art) of predicting the future, he
thought the knowledge of it necessary; he advanced to such experiments
as are not lawful for Christians. Froth this period he had as his
friends those who followed this art. In this opinion, he came into
Asia from Nicomedia, and there consorting with men of such
practices, he became more ardent in the pursuit of divination.
When Gallus, his brother, who had been established as Caesar, was
put to death on being accused of revolution, Constantius also
suspected Julian of cherishing the love of empire, and therefore put
him under the custody of guards.
Eusebia, the wife of Constantius, obtained for him permission to
retire to Athens; and he accordingly settled there, under pretext of
attending the pagan exercises and schools; but as rumor says, he
communed with diviners concerning his future prospects. Constantius
recalled him, and proclaimed him Caesar, promised him his sister
Constantia in marriage, and sent him to Gaul; for the barbarians
whose aid had been hired by Constantius previously against
Magnentius, finding that their services were not required, had
portioned out that country. As Julian was very young, generals, to
whom the prudential affairs were turned over, were sent with him; but
as these generals abandoned themselves to pleasure, he was present as
Caesar, and provided for the war. He confirmed his soldiers in their
spirit for battle, and urged them in other ways to incur danger; he
also ordered that a fixed reward should be given to each one who should
slay a barbarian. After he had thus secured the affections of the
soldiery, he wrote to Constantius, acquainting him with the levity of
the generals; and when another general had been sent, he attacked the
barbarians, and obtained the victory. They sent embassies to beg for
peace, and showed the letter in which Constantius had requested them
to enter the Roman dominions. He purposely delayed to send the
ambassador back; he attacked a number of the enemy unexpectedly and
conquered them.
Some have said that Constantius, with designed enmity, committed
this campaign to him; a but this does not appear probable to me.
For, as it rested with Constantius alone to nominate him Caesar,
why did he confer that title upon him? Why did he give him his sister
in marriage, or hear his complaints against the inefficient generals,
and send a competent one in their stead in order to complete the war,
if he were not friendly to Julian?
But as I conjecture, he conferred on him the title of Caesar because
he was well disposed to Julian; but that after Julian had, without
his sanction, been proclaimed emperor, he plotted against him through
the barbarians on the Rhine; and this, I think, resulted either
from the dread that Julian would seek revenge for the ill treatment he
and his brother Gallus had experienced during their youth, or as would
be natural, from jealousy of his attaining similar honor. But a great
variety of opinions are entertained on this subject.
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