Julian: the Roman emperor who (almost) changed the world ...

What this episode covers

It's one of the great what-ifs of ancient history. After Constantine the Great had converted Rome to Christianity it seemed that the faith's progress was inevitable, but just a few decades later a new pagan emperor sought to turn back the clock and reinstate the old gods – only to die before his plan was completed. That emperor was Julian – and his story is the subject of a new book by Professor Philip Freeman. Philip spoke to Rob Attar about a remarkable man who almost turned world history on its head. (Ad) Phillip Freeman is the author of Julian: Rome’s Last Pagan Emperor (Yale Univesity Press, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Julian-Romes-Pagan-Emperor-Ancient/dp/0300256647/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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How long is this episode of HistoryExtra podcast?

This episode is 29 minutes long.

When was this HistoryExtra podcast episode published?

This episode was published on May 30, 2024.

What is this episode about?

It's one of the great what-ifs of ancient history. After Constantine the Great had converted Rome to Christianity it seemed that the faith's progress was inevitable, but just a few decades later a new pagan emperor sought to turn back the clock and...

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