A conversation with Jeremy Swist on the emperor Julian (361-363 AD) and how he tried to combine his love of philosophy with ruling the Roman Empire. We talk about why Julian continues to excite such passions, how in some ways he may have been more Roman than Greek, and how he read Roman history in light of the theurgical Neoplatonism that he espoused.

Jeremy Swist is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Grand Valley State University, where he studies Late Antiquity, Julian and classical reception in metal music. The conversation is based on Jeremy’s recent book, Julian Augustus: Platonism, Myth, and the Refounding of Rome (Oxford University Press, 2025).

Byzantium & Friends is hosted by Anthony Kaldellis, a Professor at the University of Chicago. You can follow him on his personal website. You can listen to more episodes of Byzantium & Friends through Podbean, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.