Notes on the EmperorJulian:
About the year 310 the Emperor Constantine established Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire. Julian, who reigned from 361-363, reestablished paganism as the observed faith. He wrote a number of philosophic works in defense of the old religion and also confutations of certain Christian doctrines. After he perished in a battle in 363, the new religion was restored in state. During his reign large groups of monks attempted to ravage some pagan temples.
The Julianic Manifest No. 1
The Julianic Choir
“The best revival for the heart of Rome
Began with Julian, the most unbeguiled
Believer in the gods, fit to become
The world’s hieratic emperor, who smiled
With philolympian felicity
Before Homeric sculpture, fain to laud
Ideals. The strongest heart of justice he
Exerted in his cardiac urge for god,
From Christian hubris godly Hellas glad
To save. His orderly demeanor, mild
In dominance, with torrid monks, as mad
As dragons in the sun, irreconciled
Remained. Monastic ravagers he met,
Firmly repugning at this dismal threat.”
The Julianic Manifest No. 2
The Julianic Choir
“Julian’s rejuvenated vision, near
In light to Zeus, relit devotion to
The gods and furthered (in propitious fear
Of them) Homeric guidance as the true
Religion. Reverence for sublimity
This tutelary monarch never lost.
His laws, as awesome as propriety,
Restored Olympian stature uppermost
In schools. This victor’s mandates, vanquishing
Fanatics, actuated tolerance
For mythic creeds of mickle gods. To bring
Minacious priests away and miscreants
Deter he practised the serene pursuits
Of restoration, who’d replant his roots.”
The Julianic Manifest No. 3
The Julianic Choir
“Lest over hellenismos hubris come
With aggravated ravages in kirks
Of Zeus, permitting bishops murdersome
To prove in sanctimonious riots and works
Of Christian breakage, Julian shall prevail,
Who as our raiment of defense remains,
Invested rigorously with the mail
Of God. More prowess rises from his brains
Than from the breast of Ares. He’d preserve
The gentlest heritage of happiness
In metre. Mythic precepts he’d observe
In statues, not Olympian stones suppress
Obtusely nor let master paradigms
Of mental peace be subject to these times.”
The Julianic Manifest No. 4
The Julianic Choir
“Not breaking heartfuls of regard, resolved
With Julianos on solicitude
For Rome, in renovation we’re involved,
As far as hellenismos is endued
With Zeus’s favor. If the heartiest care
Be not too careful, we’d assert his reign.
If cardiac approbation may declare
It, men resourcefully exploit again
Hellenic lore. A lucid war he’s waged,
Lest Galilean ignorance more toxic grow.
Against monastic criminals engaged,
Julian, the aptest guardian, shall outgo
Their prevalence. These Christians, prone to craze
Propriety, would right proportion raze.”
Frederick Light. 2013
