Flavius Claudius Julianus considered Alexander Greek

in Alexander the Great, Ancient Historians / by Admin / on September 14, 2008 at 3:44 am /

The emperor Flavius Claudius Julianus, known also as Julian or Julian the Apostate was a very wise and educated person who left behind many writings.

In his work “The Caesars” the emperor wrote this short comic sketch on the occasion of the Saturnalia in December 361 A.D. It describes a contest between the Roman emperors, with Alexander the Great called in as an extra contestant, in the presence of the assembled gods. The conversation allows Julian to pass judgement concisely on many of his predecessors. However through Julian’s work it is also being revealed a widespread notion which verifies Alexander was Greek!!

316. “So Alexander joined the company of heroes, but neither Caesar nor anyone else yielded his place to him. However he found and took a vacant seat which the son of Severus had taken for himself – he had been expelled for fratricide.

Then Silenus began to rally Quirinus and said, “See now whether all these Romans can match this one Greek.” “By Zeus,” retorted Quirinus, “I consider that many of them are as good as he! It is true that my descendants have admired him so much that they hold that he alone of all foreign generals is worthy to be styled ‘the Great.”