Julian II (the Apostate) and his policies

[Carlton Bach]

I suspect a lot of this is in reaction to the Gibbon tradition that regarded him as something like the last of the Great Caesars and for whom he could simply do no wrong. Of course, neither position taken to extremes holds up well. Aside from the problem with our sources, to me it seems that Julian was very much a person of his times, Chaste, humble, just, of high personal integrity, emotional, idealistic, impetuous and demanding, had he been a Christian he would have made an admirable bishop or local holy man. As an emperor he wasmn't exactly the best choice, but his century wasn't that rich in good choices and aside from his personal idiosyncrasies I don't think he was a bad emperor or general, just not an exceptionally great one, either.

What would we say of Caesar had he been killed at Gergovia?