Julian the Apostate

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Anon. (1596)


Historical Records

Henslowe's diary

F15v/Greg 1.30:

ye 29 of aprell 1596 . . . . ne . . . . . . R[d] at Julian the apostata . . . . . . . . . . xxxxvijs
ye 1[9]0 of maye 159[5]6 mr pd R[d] at Julian apostata . . . . . . . . . . . . xxvjs
ye 20 of maye 1596 R[d] at Julyan apostata . . . . . . . . . . . . xiiijs



Theatrical Provenance

Performed as a new play by the Admiral's men on 29 April 1596 and twice more thereafter.


Probable Genre(s)

Classical history (Harbage)


Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

Robert Albott reports that "Iulian the Apostate, at his death cast vp his blood into the ayre, crying Vicisti Galilaee" (3), and that "tooke away all beneuolences and contributions to schooles of earning, to the end the chyldren might not be instructed in the liberal Arts, but brought vp in ignorance" (56). Stephen Jerome similarly observes how "as you haue heard the godly praying, or praysing and blessing GOD, speaking graciously, sending out their spirits ioyfully, and dying comfortably: so prophane men dye eyther carelesly and blockishly," and relates that Julian the Apostate "in his last act of life, from his infected lungs sent out venome against Christ, calling him in dirision, victorious Galilean" (67-68). He also provides some early modern context for how Julian was perceived, citing "the examples of Pharaoh, Herod, Nebuchadnezzar, Holoferns, of Iulian the Apostate, Ualerian, Antiochus, Nero, Domitian, Decitis, Dioclesian, Baiazt, with infinite others," as evidence that "sinne alwayes brought shame, and that Gods dishonour brought Gods disfauour, death to the body, damnation to the soule" (244). (It may be of interest that the Admiral's men also had a Nebuchadnezzar play in the 1596 season).


At the time of writing this entry, EEBO-TCP yields no substantial pre-1596 accounts of Julian's life. Alexander Ross's 1652 continuation of Raleigh's history of the world does provide a narrative for the Roman emperor:

FLavius Claudius, Iulianus the sonne of Censtantius Constantine the Greats brother, whose mother was Basilina a Noble Lady. In his youth he was bred a Christian under the bishop of Nicomedia, and for his pregnant wit and eloquence was made reader in the church. He was studious and expert in the Greek tongue. But being too familiar with Libanius the Sophister, with Iamblicus, Maximus, and other Philosophers, hee became a heathen, a magician, a persecutor of Christians, and a right Apostate. He used to diffame great Constantine, calling him an innovator and disturber of the ancient lawes. He put none to death for religion, but pretended other causes: hee shut up all schools of learning among Christians, knowing that learning was an enemy to Gentilism. He opened the Idolatrous Temples, and commanded sacrifices there to be offered. He stampt upon his coin Iupiter, setting the crown on his head; Pallas putting on his cloak, and Mercury giving him the scepter. He robbed the church of her revenues, telling the Clergy that they should be the fitter for heaven, because it is written, Blessed be the poore. He suffered no military honours to be conferred on Christians. He writ invectives against Christian Religion, which Nazianzen and Cyrill refuted. He would not permit Christian children to learn Rhetorick, fearing lest they might wound the Gentiles with their own quils. He incouraged the Jewes in hatred of Christianity, to set up again their owne State and religion, promising them great immunities and priviledges. Upon this the Jews began to rebuild the Temple, but they were faine to give off by reason of thunder, hail, fire, and earthquakes which destroyed many thousands of them. Where ever they cast their eyes they saw crosses on their garments and tables; the Delphic Temple also, was much about this time overthrown with thunder and earthquakes, as Iulian was sending thitherto know by the Oracle what successe he should have against the Persians. It had been overthrown before and spoiled 4 times, namely by the Phlegians. 2. by Xerxes his souldiers. 3. by the Phocenses 4. by Brennus; but still it was rebuilt again; by the overthrow of these two Temples, Judaism, and Gentilism were deadly wounded.



It's recorded of Iulian (whom Athanasius called a cloud soon vanishing) that in private he put divers Christians to death for their religion: among the rest Artemius Governour of Egypt, which made the Alexandrians fall furiously upon George their Arian Bishop, and murther him. This George had used to inveigh bitterly against them, to make sport with the skuls of the murthered Catholicks; tricks fitter for a Turkish turbant, then a Bishops miter. Iulian threatned to revenge this murther of George, but was taken off with fair words, and the Persian war: which he was preparing for. Understanding that Apollo could utter no Oracle, because the christians had buryed some of their Martyrs neere to him, he caused their bodies and reliques to be removed, the people in the interim singing that of the Psalmist: Confounded bee all they that worship graven Images. At which Iulian was vexed inwardly, but could not helpe it, but vowed to sacrifice the bloud of christians to his Gods, if he prevailed against the Persians. About this time also Apollo's Temple at Rome was burned down.

Sapores who was made King before he was born, 24 years of age, made irruptions upon the Empire. Iulian with 65000 souldiers tooke divers Forts and Towns from the Persian, and wasted all Assyria. Having crossed the river Tigris, he burnt his boats, as if he had conquered all: but being brought into an ambush by a fugitive, where he was beset with famine and Persian armies, was shot in the liver, by an unknown hand; he in a rage flinging the bloud of his wound in the air, cries out, Thou hast overcome mee O Galilean, and so dyed the 31 year of age, having reigned alone 1 year, 8 months, and 10 yeares with Constantius. His wife was Helena great Constantins daughter, of whom hee had no children, her Matrix being poysoned by Eusebia the Empresse, so hee dyed childlesse. (84-85)




References to the Play

<List any known or conjectured references to the lost play here.>


Critical Commentary

Hazlitt asserts that "[a] drama so called was acted in the seventeenth century at the Quarry, near Shrewsbury" (123). He does not give a source for this information, which has not been corroborated by other scholars. Perhaps Hazlitt mistakenly gave "seventeenth" for "sixteenth," and was referring to another lost play by the same name, Julian the Apostate, of 1556, which was written by Thomas Ashton and performed at Shrewsbury, most probably at The Quarry.


For What It's Worth

<Enter any miscellaneous points that may be relevant, but don't fit into the above categories. This is the best place for highly conjectural thoughts.>


Works Cited

Albott, Robert. VVits theater of the little world. 1599. Print.

Greg 1.

Hazlitt, W. Carew. A Manual for the Collector and Amateur of Old English Plays. London, 1892. Print.
Jerome, Stephen. Seauen helpes to Heauen Shewing 1. How to auoid the curse. 2. How to beare the crosse. 3. How to build the conscience. 4. How with Moses to see Canaan. 5. Simeons dying song, directing to liue holily and dye happily. 6. Comforts for Christians against distresses in life, and feare of death. 7. Feruent prayers, to beare sicknesse patiently, and dye preparedly. The second edition: much enlarged by Steuen Ierome, late preacher at S. Brides. Seene and allowed. 1614. Print.
Ross, Alexander. The history of the world the second part in six books, being a continuation of famous history of Sir Walter Raleigh, Knight : beginning where he left viz at the end of the Macedonian kingdom, and deduced to these later-times : that is from the year of the world 3806, or 160 years before Christ till the end of the year 1640 after Christ / by Alexander Ross ; wherein the most remarkable passages of those times both ecclesiasticall and civill, in the greatest states, empires, and kingdomes, are represented ; together with a chronologie of those times and an alphabeticall-table by the author. 1652. Print.




Site created and maintained by David McInnis, University of Melbourne; updated 09 Feb 2011.