Worth noting, a review at BMCR of Maria Carmen De Vita's Giuliano imperatore filosofo neoplatonico. Review by Gábor Buzási, Eötvös Loránd University:
The author's main question concerns Julian's character as a philosopher. She concludes that the emperor was neither a professional nor a dilettante but rather a pragmatist who aimed at achieving his religious and political goals partly through his rhetorical writings, in which he expressed his views in a typically non-systematic way (cf. pp. 326-7). Moreover, the author argues that Julian's thought, his explicit statements notwithstanding, did not depend on Iamblichus as much as is often believed, pointing to influence from earlier thinkers instead, including Middle Platonists. Finally, she also stresses the emperor's tendency to emulate Christian theology, an aspect of his thought relatively neglected in the past.
Full review here.
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