Emperor Julian, the last pagan ruler of Rome and nephew of Constantine, was mortally wounded near Samarra during a disorganized retreat from his failed invasion of Persia. His death effectively ended Rome's attempt to reverse Christianity's rise and reopened the throne to Christian successors, cementing the faith's permanent dominance of the empire.
Julian earned the epithet 'the Apostate' for renouncing Christianity and attempting to restore traditional Greco-Roman religion after his cousin Constantius II died. He was also a genuinely gifted general and administrator, and in 363 he launched an ambitious invasion of the Sasanian Persian Empire, marching down the Euphrates with an army of some 65,000 men and a fleet of supply ships.
The campaign initially went well, but Julian failed to take the Persian capital and, low on supplies, was forced into a retreat up the Tigris. During a confused skirmish near Samarra, a spear pierced his side—accounts differ on whether it came from a Persian soldier or, as some ancient sources hint, a disgruntled Roman. He died in his tent that night, only 31 years old, reportedly discussing philosophy with his officers as he bled out.
His death, occurring on or very near June 26, 363, ended the Constantinian dynasty and any realistic chance of reviving paganism as Rome's state religion. His successor Jovian, a Christian, hastily negotiated a humiliating peace with Persia to extract the army, and Christianity's trajectory toward becoming the empire's sole official religion resumed uninterrupted.
Key people: Julian, Jovian