The book is set out more or less as a chronological biography from Julian's birth to his accession to the throne as sole Augustus in 361. From there, it takes on a more thematic aspect as it describes his policies and movements throughout his time in Naissus, Constantinople and then on to Antioch, where the narrative picks up again and swiftly carries the emperor to his greatest triumph - against the Sassanid Persians at their own capital of Ctesiphon - and his final end on the return journey.

The major downside to this work is Bowersock's clear, at times vitriolic disdain for the Emperor Julian and many of his policies. In the early part of the book, he writes seemingly as an apologist for Constantius II, portraying him in a far more favourable light than most other historians of the period. He castes Julian in the mold of a zealot and a bigot, and eventually as a persecutor of Christians, something which most historians stop short of. This is not the book one should read first on Julian, as I can imagine it would colour one's views irrevocably against the man.

Despite this, however, Bowersock's writing is clear, his style engaging, and his research clearly meticulous. If one is able to see beyond the surface layer of strongly opinionated commentary, an incredible amount of knowledge in a short run of pages (only 119 for the main section) is revealed. For that reason, this is a must-read for anyone with a solid background knowledge of Julian, looking to learn more. ( )

Quick, easy to read biography of Julian. The author spends perhaps too much time explaining how he uses sources, but that's at least understandable in a work on such a polarized figure, and such an ancient one. The picture he paints is not one of a perfect idealized man, nor is it the monster that so many detractors depict. It is a nuanced picture of a man with good and bad points, who made some good reforms but in many cases for some less than noble reasons (although some people might think the goal to destroy Christianity was actually quite noble, it is notable that the brand of paganism he wanted to implement was not particularly wonderful, either). For anyone interested in the life of this so brief Roman emperor, this is a good resource to have on your shelves. ( )

I think this is as far as I know the definitive biography and I'll be rereading it again. It's pretty dense but features some interesting dissections of where Julian's account of his life and elevation to the height of power differs from the facts in the historical record. He's also good at analyzing the few firsthand sources we have on this troubling figure in history. ( )

I know Julian is supposed to be fascinating, but why? He was a twirp and a bore. His reign was short. Bowersock can write interesting stuff, but this is more Roman Arabia than Fiction as History. Snore.