Information on the thesis

The dissertation comes out to a complex study of home policy of Emperor
Flavius Claudius Julian (361–363) in the context of the religious life’s evolution
of the Roman Empire. The paper sought to investigate the circumstances that
contributed to the formation of Julian’s worldview and its influence upon
Emperor’s home policy and religious activity.
The Gallic period of Julian’s activities can be divided into two stages: 1)
from 355 to spring 357, and 2) from the spring of 357, when Caesar received the
right to command the army to 361 that is, until the end of the wars with the
Germanic and Frankish tribes. The first stage is characterized mainly by
defensive actions against the tribes, while during the second one there were the
offensive wars of the Romans. The Emperor Julian interfered in the sphere of
authority of the praetorian prefect Florentius and, contrary to him, reformed the
tax system in the province. These measures contributed to the increase of re-
venue collections, which allowed Julian to reduce taxes over the next few years.
Having become an Emperor, Julian trimmed spending on the maintenance
of the imperial court and expanded the practice of economical spending of funds
upon the whole Empire, in particular, fired a large number of informers – the
representatives of the Roman secret police and courier service (agentes in rebus),
completely eliminating these services, instructed to deliver orders to his
employees, who were under his control.
It has been found that Julian carried out a reform (cursus publicus), which
provided for the prohibition of the use of state mail without urgent need. Officials
and Christian clergy, as well as those who needed such services, had to pay for them
or buy their own animals. It was possible to use the state mail only for state affairs.
The thesis also estimates the value of the tax reform at the state level. Julian
forbade the officials of the prefect to participate in the tax collection process and
completely transferred those powers to the curias. Julian refused the “crown gold”,
which the provinces offered to the Emperor at his accession to the throne, set a low
tax rate and forgave towns for arrears on land tax that had accumulated over a long
period of time. The educational reform of Emperor Julian was aimed at improving
the quality of education, and the law of June 17, 362, which did not last long, could
not testify to a hostile attitude towards Christianity.
It has been proved that during a short period of his rule the Emperor made
important progressive reforms. Many of his laws remained in force during the
reign of his successors. Legislative activities of Julian covered all spheres of
public life of the Roman Empire.

Key words: Emperor Flavius Claudius Julian, Roman Empire, Gaul
province, Christianity, paganism, Apostate, Neoplatonism, religious reform, edu-
cational reform, administration.