Julian The Apostate's Persian Disaster - The Pax Romana Podcast 94

About this episode

This episode discusses Emperor Julian's disastrous invasion of Persia and its implications for pagan Rome.

363 AD: Emperor Julian, Rome’s last pagan ruler, wagered everything on a massive invasion of Persia to eclipse Alexander the Great and prove that the old gods blessed his empire. He crossed into Persia with tens of thousands of soldiers and a thousand supply ships. Fortresses fell, cities burned and Ctesiphon itself lay within reach. But Julian's careful efforts were undone by his own hubris. His death in battle ended both an emperor and pagan Rome’s final hope. Donate: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/WZTWCMWCJJYFC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@ProfCPE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Professor Elliott's book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pox Romana: The Plague that Shook the Roman World ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ .

People in this episode

Host: Professor Colin Elliott

Topics covered

• Roman history
• Julian the Apostate
• Persian invasion
• paganism
• military strategy
• hubris
• ancient empires

Keywords

• Julian the Apostate
• Persian invasion
• Roman Empire
• Ctesiphon
• hubris
• paganism
• 363 AD

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Pox Romana: The Plague that Shook the Roman World

Places: Persia, Rome, Ctesiphon

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