throughout the empire and won the affection of his soldiers. He
repulsed the Alemanns and the Franks, sending captives to the court
of Constantius. His expeditions beyond the Rhine were crowned with
success. He restored the cities of Gaul and stemmed the tide of
barbarian invasion.

All these triumphs had awakened the jealousy of the emperor
Constantius, who was practically ruled by the eunuchs and bishops
at his court. The rising fortunes of Julian had caused envy among
many, who set about to poison the mind of Constantius with
innuendoes and false suggestions. They resolved to disarm Julian
and to separate him from his army. The Emperor ordered Julian to
send his best troops to the war in Persia. But they forgot that the
troops adored Julian. They overlooked the fact that the soldiers
would see through such a scheme to humiliate their commander. The
Gauls also feared the departure of Julian's men, for they dreaded
the attacks of the Germans. This then was the situation. Julian
attempted to follow the orders of the Emperor. But fate ordained
otherwise. The army proclaimed him emperor. He refused the honor at
first, but was forced to assume the dangerous title. The war which
immediately followed was cut short by the sudden death of
Constantius, and Julian became sole ruler of the Roman Empire. He
renounced Christianity and is known in history as Julian the
Apostate.

While the Romans languished under the ignominious tyranny of eunuchs and
bishops, the praises of Julian were repeated with transport in every
part of the empire, except in the palace of Constantius. The barbarians
of Germany had felt and still dreaded the arms of the young caesar; his
soldiers were the companions of his victory; the grateful provincials
enjoyed the blessings of his reign; but the favorites, who had opposed
his elevation, were offended by his virtues; and they justly considered
the friend of the people as the enemy of the court. As long as the fame
of Julian was doubtful the buffoons of the palace, who were skilled in
the language of satire, tried the efficacy of those arts which they had
so often practised with success. They easily discovered that his
simplicity was not exempt from affectation; the ridiculous epithets of a
hairy savage, of an ape invested with the purple, were applied to the
dress and person of the philoso