Constantius II

Constantius II was a Roman emperor and son of Constantine the Great. His reign was dominated by dynastic conflict, theological controversy, defence of the Danube and eastern frontiers, and repeated war with the Sasanian king Shapur II.

In Michael Curtis Ford’s Gods and Legions, Caesarius recalls the life of his friend Julian, the surviving cousin of Emperor Constantius II, whose education in philosophy and Christianity gives way to military command on Rome’s threatened Rhine frontier. In Gore Vidal’s Julian, their correspondence frames Julian’s own account of survival within Constantine’s dynasty: the massacre of his relatives, his education under Christian supervision, the execution of his half-brother Constantius Gallus and his dangerous service under Constantius II.