(I\u00a0\u00a0 want\u00a0 to\u00a0 dedicate these series of\u00a0 texts\u00a0 to\u00a0 those\u00a0 of\u00a0 my\u00a0 former\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 students, male and\u00a0 female, who\u00a0 in\u00a0 the end chose \u201cmediocrity\u201d\u00a0 and\u00a0 \u201cvirtual\u00a0 reality\u201d\u00a0 for\u00a0 the\u00a0 sake\u00a0 of\u00a0 their\u00a0 own\u00a0 society, their own\u00a0 families and\u00a0 their own \u201csurvival\u201d.)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We\u00a0 shall\u00a0 return once\u00a0 again to\u00a0 the\u00a0 first\u00a0 years\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire,\u00a0 when\u00a0 the \u201cconspiracy\u201d between its\u00a0 political\u00a0 authorities, the clerical authorities\u00a0 and\u00a0 the\u00a0 International\u00a0 Jewish Establishment was initiated, and\u00a0 progressively evolved and took\u00a0 roots.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 Byzantine Empire\u00a0 was\u00a0 founded by\u00a0 Constantine the\u00a0 Great(272A.D.-337A.D.), son\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Roman Caesar Flavius Valerius\u00a0 Constantius\u00a0 and his\u00a0 wife Helen. The Roman\u00a0 Emperor Diocletian, who introduced the political institution of\u00a0 the\u00a0 \u201ctetrarchy\u201d(four individual rulers) in 293A.D., appointed Constantius A\u2019(293A.D.-306A.D), Caesar of\u00a0 Gaul, Spain and\u00a0 Britain, meaning\u00a0 the Western Provinces of the\u00a0 Roman Empire. Constantine the \u00a0\u00a0Great, son of\u00a0 Constantius A\u2019, ruled\u00a0 as Emperor of\u00a0\u00a0 the\u00a0 Western Roman Empire from 312A.D. to\u00a0 324A.D., and as sole Emperor of the \u00a0Empire from 324A.D. to\u00a0 337A.D.<\/p>\n
Constantine the\u00a0\u00a0 Great implemented\u00a0 three major historic decrees which would\u00a0 define concretely , the political, the historical and\u00a0 the cultural identity of\u00a0 Byzantium until its demise, during the\u00a0 middle of\u00a0 the 15th\u00a0 century\u00a0 A.D..<\/p>\n
First\u00a0 of\u00a0 all , he signed the\u00a0 decree of\u00a0 Mediolanum(Milan) in 313A.D., when\u00a0 he\u00a0 was\u00a0 Emperor of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Western\u00a0 Roman\u00a0 Empire, enacting the legislation of\u00a0 \u201creligious tolerance\u201d, therefore, legalizing\u00a0 Christianity as a\u00a0 \u201ctolerated religion\u201d which would be under\u00a0 the\u00a0 protection of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Emperor himself!!! Byzantine Emperor Theodosius A\u2019 was the one \u00a0who\u00a0 on\u00a0 February 28, 380A.D., in\u00a0 Salonika, passed the\u00a0 legislation, making Christianity \u201cthe official religion\u201d of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire. Theodosius,\u00a0 had\u00a0 activated \u00a0the decisions taken by the\u00a0 First Ecumenical Synod in Nicaea in 325A.D., under the rule of\u00a0\u00a0 Byzantine Emperor, Constantine the\u00a0 Great!!!<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 second\u00a0 political initiative taken by\u00a0 Constantine the\u00a0 Great\u00a0 was\u00a0 the\u00a0 official relocation of\u00a0 Rome\u00a0 as capital of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Roman Empire\u00a0 to\u00a0 Constantinople, which pragmatically meant the creation of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Eastern Roman Empire.<\/p>\n
Finally, he organised the First Ecumenical \u00a0\u00a0Synod of Nicaea in 325A.D., which was\u00a0 a determinant historical\u00a0 factor \u00a0concerning the\u00a0 evolution of\u00a0 Christianity\u00a0 as a World Religion. This Synod defined , validated\u00a0 and\u00a0 formalized \u00a0the\u00a0 various Christian dogmas, the church institutions and finally, the socio-political status of\u00a0\u00a0 the\u00a0 Church in relation to the powers of the Emperor, his court and the local administrations\u00a0 throughout the territory of the Byzantine Empire!!!<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 Byzantine Empire was a\u00a0 \u201csuperficial simile\u201d of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Roman Empire, as the Roman Empire had been \u201ca\u00a0 rough copy\u201d of\u00a0 the political and social\u00a0 culture of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek City\u00a0 States!!! The political, cultural \u00a0and\u00a0 institutional cohesion of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire was superficial and\u00a0 not the\u00a0 end\u00a0 product of a historical\u00a0 evolution!!!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 Byzantine political\u00a0 leadership , most\u00a0 of\u00a0 the time, functioned in an\u00a0 arbitrary way and\u00a0 dictatorially,\u00a0 because they had not established \u00a0those\u00a0 political institutions\u00a0 such\u00a0 as\u00a0 a\u00a0 constitution\u00a0 and\u00a0 an\u00a0 official political opposition,\u00a0 which could oversee its political decisions\u00a0 and\u00a0 decrees.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 Byzantine political leadership, and\u00a0 more\u00a0 specifically the\u00a0 Byzantine\u00a0 Emperor, his court and his political\u00a0 and administrative officials, exercised a political legitimacy\u00a0 through\u00a0 physical intimidation, violence and a despotic governance, always with\u00a0 the\u00a0 support of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Orthodox\u00a0 Church and its Elders!!! The Church ensured the\u00a0 absolute obedience of\u00a0 the simple\u00a0 Christian Citizen of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Empire by utilizing the\u00a0 \u201cterrorism\u201d of\u00a0 religious persecution, of\u00a0 social marginalization\u00a0 and\u00a0 excommunication!!! As it\u00a0 was with the \u00a0\u00a0Political\u00a0 Establishment of the\u00a0 Byzantine State, \u00a0similarly ,the Clerical\u00a0 Establishment\u2019s main\u00a0 goals were\u00a0 the\u00a0 accumulation of\u00a0 great\u00a0 wealth for\u00a0 themselves\u00a0 and\u00a0 the\u00a0 means to\u00a0 control and determine the everyday lives and actions of all Byzantine citizens!!!<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 real image of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire\u00a0 as a \u00a0political regime and\u00a0 as a political\u00a0 culture\u00a0 has\u00a0 been\u00a0 described comprehensively by famous\u00a0 scholars and\u00a0 thinkers of the\u00a0 European Enlightenment during\u00a0 the 17th\u00a0 and\u00a0 18th century\u00a0 A.D. , whose\u00a0 basic analytical\u00a0 instruments were rationalism and\u00a0 the dialectic thought process!!! A.A. Vasiliev, a famous\u00a0 Russian historian , specializing in\u00a0 Byzantine Studies, in his book\u00a0 \u2018The\u00a0 History of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine\u00a0 Empire,324-1453\u2019 ,on\u00a0 pages 16\u00a0 and\u00a0 17, \u00a0notes the\u00a0 following: \u201c\u2026. The\u00a0 epoch of\u00a0 Rationalism with\u00a0 its basic features, the\u00a0 negation of\u00a0 the past, religious scepticism and a\u00a0 forceful critique of\u00a0 the powers of\u00a0 the\u00a0 clergy and\u00a0\u00a0 of\u00a0 despotic monarchy, could\u00a0 not\u00a0 find an interesting element in the\u00a0 Byzantine\u00a0 Empire\u2026.Voltaire, judging the historical\u00a0 epoch of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Roman Empire, adds, \u2018There is\u00a0 another history more\u00a0 comical than that of\u00a0 Rome, since the\u00a0 period of\u00a0 Tacitus; this\u00a0 being the\u00a0 history of the\u00a0 Byzantium. This unworthy \u00a0historic collection is\u00a0 made up of\u00a0 nothing\u00a0 else except\u00a0 orations\u00a0 and\u00a0 miracles. It \u00a0\u00a0is\u00a0 an\u00a0 anathema to the\u00a0 human\u00a0 intellect.\u2019\u2026\u201d.(translation of\u00a0 the Greek\u00a0 text)(Vasiliev,A.A., The\u00a0 History of\u00a0 the \u00a0Byzantine\u00a0 Empire, 324-1453, pp.16-17, \u00a0Edited by Pelekanos, Athens 2006, University Press, 1928-1929)<\/p>\n
We\u00a0 shall\u00a0 continue with a historical commentary made\u00a0\u00a0 by\u00a0 Mrs. Helene Glykatzi\u00a0 Ahrweiler\u00a0 in an\u00a0 interview\u00a0 she\u00a0 gave to the\u00a0 journalist Niko\u00a0 Bakounaki for\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek newspaper \u2018to Vima\u2019 and\u00a0 which\u00a0 was\u00a0 published on April 2010. Mrs. Ahrweiler is a world famous Byzantinologist , who\u00a0 served as vice-Rector(1970-1973) and\u00a0 from 1976 as\u00a0 Rector of\u00a0 the\u00a0 University of\u00a0 Sorbonne. Similarly, in 1982, she\u00a0 was\u00a0 elected\u00a0 Chancellor of\u00a0 all the Universities of\u00a0 Paris, while from 1989 to 1991, she\u00a0 presided as\u00a0 President of\u00a0 the\u00a0 French Cultural Centre , Georges Pompidou-Beaubourg.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 \u00a0title of\u00a0 the interview of\u00a0 Mrs. Ahrweiler is in English translation, \u2018We\u00a0 are\u00a0 all\u00a0 Byzantines\u2019!!! Through her\u00a0 various\u00a0 answers to\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 reporter, she tries to\u00a0 convince her\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 readers that the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire functioned historically \u00a0\u00a0as\u00a0 \u201cthe\u00a0 Saviour\u201d of\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Civilization and of the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Language.<\/p>\n
This \u201cset up\u201d historical position\u00a0\u00a0 concerning\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Mrs. Ahrweiler,\u00a0 we\u00a0 shall\u00a0 try to disprove, \u00a0by\u00a0 \u00a0referring to authentic historical\u00a0 facts and objective historical analyses,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 formulated\u00a0 by\u00a0 \u201cobjective\u201d and\u00a0 \u201cresponsible\u201d \u00a0historical scholars !!! We\u00a0 shall therefore reveal the \u201cmurky role\u201d played by\u00a0 Mrs. Ahrweiler in her\u00a0 efforts to distort\u00a0 historical reality and\u00a0 historical\u00a0 truth, thus accommodating the \u201ccultural\u00a0 distortions\u201d propagated by\u00a0 the\u00a0 Christian\u00a0 Church and the International Jewish Establishment!!! A\u00a0 \u201ccultural conspiracy\u201d\u00a0 whose main focus is\u00a0 to\u00a0 downgrade the Historical Status of\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Civilization and its Historical Contributions in\u00a0 defining the societal institutions of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Modern Western World!!!<\/p>\n
In\u00a0 her interview for the Greek newspaper \u2018to\u00a0 Vima\u2019, on April 2010, answering the query of\u00a0 the\u00a0 reporter\u00a0 as\u00a0 to\u00a0 the reason for\u00a0 the\u00a0 recent\u00a0 public interest in\u00a0 Greece concerning the\u00a0 Byzantium, Mrs. Ahrweiler, as a\u00a0 \u201cgood diplomat\u201d , gave\u00a0 the\u00a0 following\u00a0 answer: \u201c \u2026because Byzantium is\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek language and\u00a0 Christian Orthodoxy, meaning the\u00a0 two\u00a0 basic\u00a0 components of \u00a0the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 identity . Surely, the Byzantium was a\u00a0 multi-ethnic empire, but a\u00a0 Greek-speaking empire. The fact that Byzantium was\u00a0 Greek speaking, it\u00a0 saved all\u00a0 of\u00a0 Greek civilization\u2026\u201d!!! (translation of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 text)(p.1,http:\/\/www.tovima.gr\/culture\/article\/?aid=324009<\/a>)<\/p>\n What else could Mrs. Ahrweiler \u00a0\u00a0provide \u00a0as\u00a0 an\u00a0 answer, knowing full well the \u201csinister role\u201d she is constantly\u00a0 playing \u00a0, distorting the historical and\u00a0 cultural \u00a0experiences of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek Nation and\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Race under the various \u201crepressive\u201d political but also clerical leaderships \u00a0of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire!!!<\/p>\n Nevertheless, there is a different valuation concerning the\u00a0 role played by\u00a0 Byzantine political authorities and\u00a0 the\u00a0 clerical\u00a0 leadership of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Orthodox\u00a0 Church, related to\u00a0 the \u00a0cultural identity of the\u00a0 Greek Nation. This\u00a0 historical\u00a0 differentiation\u00a0 comes from\u00a0 \u201cwell respected\u201d and \u201cobjective\u201d\u00a0 Greek \u00a0Byzantologists like\u00a0 Nicolaos Tomathakis, professor of\u00a0 Byzantine Literature at\u00a0 the\u00a0 University of\u00a0 Athens.<\/p>\n Nicolaos Tomathakis in his work \u2018Introduction to Byzantine Literature\u2019, volume A, second edition, Athens 1956, explains the following:\u201d\u2026Christianity\u00a0 was\u00a0 hostile\u00a0 mainly\u00a0 towards the\u00a0 Hellenic social\u00a0 component as a\u00a0 mode\u00a0 of\u00a0 life and thinking\u2026The\u00a0 most\u00a0 effective insinuation of\u00a0 Christianity against the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 classical world was its\u00a0 exposure as\u00a0 being idolatrous. For\u00a0 idolatry were\u00a0 often accused\u00a0 non-Christians by organised mobs, a\u00a0 religious ritual(idolatry) which was unknown to\u00a0 them\u2026 Nevertheless, very soon, the name designation for a\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 person(ethnikos) was\u00a0 identified with the ritual of\u00a0 idolatry\u2026\u201d(translation of\u00a0 the Greek text)(p.9,http:\/\/cloudconnected.pblogs.gr\/2014\/01<\/a>\u2026)<\/p>\n Mrs. Ahrweiler, a world\u00a0 famous\u00a0 historian of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantium, \u201cthrowing\u00a0 dust\u201d in\u00a0 the eyes of\u00a0 her\u00a0 Greek lecturers, in\u00a0 her book \u2018the\u00a0 Ideology of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine\u00a0 Empire\u2019, describes the persecution\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 citizens\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire by its political leaders and\u00a0 by\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Orthodox\u00a0 Clergy as\u00a0 initiatives and\u00a0 actions taken against idolaters, underestimating in\u00a0 this\u00a0 way the cultural\u00a0 identity\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greeks then. At\u00a0 the\u00a0 same time, Mrs. Ahrweiler identifies with the \u201cunhistorical\u00a0 position\u201d of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Christian\u00a0 Church\u00a0 Establishment that the\u00a0 Ancient Greeks were idolaters and\u00a0 naturally \u201cspiritually imperfect\u201d!!!<\/p>\n In the Ancient \u00a0\u00a0Greek\u00a0 Religion, \u00a0there was\u00a0 no\u00a0 worship of\u00a0 idols, only of\u00a0 nature in\u00a0 all its forms. Idolatry\u00a0 was a\u00a0 religious ritualistic characteristic of all the religions of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Middle\u00a0 East\u00a0 and\u00a0 of Asia\u00a0 Minor, including the\u00a0 Traditional\u00a0 Jewish Religion\u00a0 which\u00a0 through time, had adopted\u00a0 in an\u00a0 incremental\u00a0 way, the\u00a0 religious beliefs of\u00a0 the various communities\u00a0 and\u00a0 tribes of\u00a0 Canaan in\u00a0 Palestine!!!<\/p>\n Mrs.\u00a0 Ahrweiler, in\u00a0 her book \u2018 the\u00a0 Political\u00a0 Ideology\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine\u00a0 Empire\u2019, makes\u00a0 the\u00a0 following\u00a0 comments:\u201d\u2026.There were\u00a0 political measures\u00a0 taken \u00a0\u00a0against the\u00a0 idolaters\u00a0 which\u00a0 often took the\u00a0 form of real persecutions. The\u00a0 Oracle\u00a0 at\u00a0 Delphi was to\u00a0 silence itself, the\u00a0 Olympic Games and\u00a0 the\u00a0 Religious Rituals of\u00a0 Eleusis or\u00a0 the\u00a0 Eleusinian Mysteries were forbidden.\u00a0 Sacred \u00a0Greek sites\u00a0 were pillaged and the\u00a0 pagan priests were obliged to discontinue their religious\u00a0 functions or face\u00a0 death, as\u00a0 historian Livanios informs us\u2026..\u201d.( translation of the Greek text)(Glykatzi-Ahrweiler,Helene, \u2018The Political Ideology\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire\u2019, p.17,Editing House Psichogios, Athens 1988)<\/p>\n In\u00a0 order\u00a0 to\u00a0 better comprehend \u201cthe conspiracy\u201d between the political elites of\u00a0 the Byzantine\u00a0 Empire, the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Orthodox\u00a0 Church with\u00a0 its center in Constantinople, and the\u00a0 International\u00a0 Jewish Establishment, we shall refer to\u00a0 the last\u00a0 \u201cpagan\u201d\u00a0 Byzantine Emperor, Julian, who during the\u00a0 period he\u00a0 ruled(as Caesar with his cousin Constantius B\u2019\u00a0 from 355A.D. to\u00a0 360A.D.,and alone as\u00a0 Augustus\u00a0 from 361A.D. until 363A.D.),\u00a0 tried\u00a0 through his\u00a0 state policies to\u00a0 restore Ancient Greek\u00a0 Culture during a \u00a0time when\u00a0 his Judeo-Christian \u00a0citizens \u00a0were defining\u00a0\u00a0 and\u00a0 controlling to a large \u00a0degree the image of the political\u00a0 culture of\u00a0 his \u00a0Empire!!!(p.1,http:\/\/www.theasis.gr\/koinonia\/art-new\/313-o-ioulianos-<\/a>)<\/p>\n Julian was the\u00a0 last Byzantine emperor of\u00a0 the\u00a0 dynasty of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Constanteens and the only\u00a0 \u201cpagan\u201d\u00a0 emperor\u00a0 after\u00a0 Constantine\u00a0 the\u00a0 Great(272A.D.-337A.D.). Julian was\u00a0 the first\u00a0 cousin\u00a0 of\u00a0 Emperor Constantius B\u2019 and was\u00a0 born in\u00a0 Constantinople in\u00a0 331A.D. Immediately after the\u00a0 death\u00a0 of\u00a0 Constantine\u00a0 the\u00a0 Great,\u00a0 Byzantine soldiers\u00a0 lynched\u00a0 Constantine\u2019s \u00a0\u00a0half – \u00a0brothers, one of them being\u00a0\u00a0 Julius, the father of\u00a0 Julian and\u00a0 Gallo, as \u00a0well as many of his relatives\u00a0 and supporters, including\u00a0 Dalmatian,\u00a0 Julian\u2019 older brother. The official historical narrative at\u00a0 that time ,was that the army had\u00a0 acted spontaneously and\u00a0 forcefully on the\u00a0 evidence that\u00a0 Constantine the\u00a0 Great had been\u00a0 poisoned by his brothers. Nevertheless, later evidence revealed that Constantius B\u2019, his son, was the person responsible for the murder of \u00a0\u00a0Julian\u2019s relatives, this, in\u00a0 order to control\u00a0 absolutely the\u00a0 political hegemony of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire after his father\u2019s\u00a0 death!!!(p.1,https:\/\/el.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ioulianos<\/a>)<\/p>\n All of\u00a0 Julian\u2019s\u00a0 family were \u00a0murdered by Coonstantius B\u2019 in the\u00a0 course of one\u00a0 night, except for himself and\u00a0 his\u00a0 younger brother Gallo. Constantius spared them because they were still very young and did not\u00a0 pose \u00a0any \u00a0threat to his political \u00a0power hold. Julian grew\u00a0 up far\u00a0 from\u00a0 the\u00a0 royal court and its\u00a0 political\u00a0 intrigues, while he\u00a0 went\u00a0 first to\u00a0 Nicomedia and\u00a0 then to Cappadocia( then, major\u00a0 cities of\u00a0 Asia Minor) , where he\u00a0 studied the \u00a0Ancient Greek\u00a0 Civilization. At\u00a0 the\u00a0 age of 11, Julian\u2019s and his younger brother\u2019s education were \u00a0assigned\u00a0 to\u00a0 the bishop Georgios of\u00a0 Cappadocia, where they\u00a0 studied Christian, but\u00a0 also non-Christian manuscripts, kept within the rich library \u00a0of\u00a0 bishop Georgiou!!!<\/p>\n In \u00a0\u00a0348A.D., Julian returned\u00a0 to\u00a0 Constantinople and studied with the Ethnic\u00a0 teacher(non-Christian Greek)\u00a0 Neoclis and the Christian teacher Eccuolio. From 350\u00a0 to\u00a0 351A.D., he went to Pergamos and studied with the\u00a0 philosopher Aedesius, there, becoming acquainted with the neo-platonic philosopher \u00a0\u00a0Maximos of\u00a0 Ephesus. With the aid of\u00a0 the wife\u00a0 of\u00a0 Emperor Constantius B\u2019, Eusevia, who liked and greatly respected Julius, he escaped execution by\u00a0 the\u00a0 Emperor, who\u00a0 had dethroned and then\u00a0 executed\u00a0 his\u00a0 brother Gallus, since after he\u00a0 had appointed him Caesar of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Eastern Roman Provinces, he proved to be\u00a0 an\u00a0 incapable political administrator and an incompetent military commander!!!(p.1,https:\/\/el.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ioulianos<\/a>)<\/p>\n After the execution of\u00a0 Gallus in 354A.D., Julian, with the help of\u00a0 Empress Eusevia\u00a0 went to\u00a0 Athens\u00a0 and\u00a0 studied in the Greek\u00a0 Academies\u00a0 there. In those Traditional Greek Institutions\u00a0 of\u00a0 higher learning, he had as\u00a0 schoolmates,\u00a0 Gregory the\u00a0 Theologian and\u00a0 Basil the Great, two of\u00a0 the\u00a0 three First\u00a0 Fathers \u00a0of the Greek\u00a0 Orthodox Church. In 355A.D., Julian was appointed\u00a0 Caesar of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Western Provinces\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Roman Empire\u00a0 by\u00a0 Emperor\u00a0 Constantius B\u2019, his\u00a0 first cousin, while the\u00a0 Emperor also\u00a0 named him his successor before\u00a0 his\u00a0 death in 361A.D.!!!<\/p>\n On\u00a0 December 361A.D., Julian\u00a0 entered\u00a0 Constantinople as Emperor, while very\u00a0 soon after, he initiated his policy of\u00a0 reviving the Greek and\u00a0 the\u00a0 Roman religions, Greek education\u00a0 and\u00a0 learning , as\u00a0 well\u00a0 as\u00a0 Greek culture!!! This policy by\u00a0 Julian ,which essentially undermined the\u00a0 cultural\u00a0 influence as\u00a0 well\u00a0 as the economic and\u00a0 political interests of\u00a0\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek \u00a0Orthodox\u00a0 Church was fought zealously by\u00a0 Gregory\u00a0 the Theologian and by\u00a0 Basil\u00a0 the\u00a0 Great, his former\u00a0 schoolmates from the Greek \u00a0Academies of\u00a0 Athens. His \u00a0two\u00a0 school\u00a0 companions had by\u00a0 then\u00a0 become\u00a0 powerful and\u00a0 influential\u00a0 clerics within the Church\u00a0 Establishment!!!( Tsolis, Michalis, Saint Gregory\u00a0 the\u00a0 Theologian, pp.37-38, The Orthodox \u00a0Press, Athens 1997, a Greek text).<\/p>\n From the\u00a0 moment\u00a0 that\u00a0 Julian functioned as\u00a0 a political leader within \u00a0the\u00a0 Byzantine\u00a0 Empire, first\u00a0 as\u00a0 Caesar with Constantius B\u2019 from\u00a0 355A.D. to\u00a0 360A.D., and\u00a0 then as sole ruler or as Augustus from 361A.D. to 363A.D., the\u00a0 Leadership of the Greek Orthodox\u00a0 Church, with\u00a0 its advocates, the\u00a0 ruling classes\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire and\u00a0 the\u00a0 International Jewish\u00a0 Establishment, assigned to Julian the nicknames\u00a0 of\u00a0 \u201ctransgressor\u201d and \u201capostate\u201d;\u00a0 judging\u00a0 his stance\u00a0 towards\u00a0\u00a0 the \u00a0Christian Religion!!! This discriminating\u00a0 position\u00a0 was\u00a0 not\u00a0 only\u00a0 related \u00a0to\u00a0 Julian \u00a0reviving\u00a0 the\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Civilization, meaning the Ancient Greek Religion, Ancient Greek\u00a0 Education, the Ancient Greek philosophic thought process,\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Arts and Sciences, but also \u00a0these\u00a0 powerful\u00a0 societal \u00a0forces wanted\u00a0 to\u00a0 stain Julian\u2019s character. They\u00a0 were\u00a0 identifying \u00a0\u00a0Emperor Julian\u00a0 as\u00a0 an immoral, undemocratic, non-condescending and a psychologically unbalanced politician!!!<\/p>\n This \u00a0propaganda against the moral and\u00a0 spiritual integrity\u00a0 of\u00a0 Julian\u00a0 was\u00a0 since that\u00a0 time permanent and relentless, an\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cunhistorical \u00a0reality\u201d which is still being diffused by\u00a0 today\u2019s Ecclesiastic Scholars\u00a0 and Theologians.\u201d\u2026the Judeo-Christians wanting\u00a0 to\u00a0 besmirch\u00a0 Julian\u2019s\u00a0 name,\u00a0 did not\u00a0 hesitate to\u00a0 attach to him unfounded rumours which were started by the Byzantine commentator\u00a0 and\u00a0 monk, Gergios Kedrinos, who\u00a0 had\u00a0 lived during \u00a0the end of\u00a0 the\u00a0 11th and\u00a0 the\u00a0 beginning of the\u00a0 12th\u00a0 century \u00a0A.D.. Therefore, thanks to\u00a0 \u00a0Kedrinos, we learn that\u00a0 Julian made libations to\u00a0 the Gods, disemboweling babies and pregnant women in order to\u00a0 prepare a type of\u00a0 wine potion which included their\u00a0 entrails\u2026\u201d!!! ( translation of the Greek text)(p.4,http:\/\/www.theasis.gr\/koinonia\/art-new\/313-o-ioulianos-<\/a>)<\/p>\n Well established Greek historians like Constantinos Paparigopoulos, the professor Caterina Christophilopoulou who has written \u2018the History\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantium\u2019, the historian Ioannis Karagianopoulos, who\u00a0 wrote about\u00a0 Julian in\u00a0 his\u00a0 first volume of \u2018the History of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine State\u2019, as well as Mrs. Polymnia Athanasiadou, a Doctor in History; all of\u00a0 them, describing in detail the life and personality of\u00a0 Julian, as well as his political and\u00a0 cultural initiatives, put\u00a0 great emphasis on the psychology of this \u201cextraordinary\u201d Emperor!!!<\/p>\n This\u00a0 last historical\u00a0 component is not\u00a0 at\u00a0 all coincidental, since these noteworthy historians \u00a0are able to pass on the message to\u00a0 their readers, that\u00a0 Julian due\u00a0 to his \u00a0\u00a0traumatic experiences when\u00a0 he was only 6\u00a0 years old(337A.D.), when all of\u00a0 his\u00a0 family and\u00a0 relatives, except for\u00a0 his younger brother\u00a0 Gallo \u00a0were\u00a0 assassinated( by\u00a0 the\u00a0 soldiers of\u00a0 Caesar Constantius\u00a0 B\u2019, successor to\u00a0 Constantine\u00a0 the\u00a0 Great and\u00a0 first cousin of\u00a0 Julian), had obstructed \u00a0a\u00a0 normal physiological\u00a0 development of\u00a0 his\u00a0 personality and\u00a0 character!!!<\/p>\n The\u00a0 emphasis given by\u00a0 these historians\u00a0 concerning\u00a0 the\u00a0 disturbed psyche of\u00a0 Julian since his\u00a0 childhood, provides them with a\u00a0 viable inference\u00a0 to\u00a0 question\u00a0 his\u00a0 mental\u00a0 and\u00a0 behavioral constitution\u00a0 when he put into place\u00a0 his radical policies. The\u00a0 crux of his\u00a0 policies was\u00a0 to revitalize\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Civilization within the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire, while also marginalizing\u00a0 the\u00a0 influence of\u00a0 the Christian Orthodox Church\u00a0 and\u00a0 the\u00a0 Judeo-Christian Byzantine citizens in all\u00a0 sectors\u00a0 of\u00a0 Byzantine society. Julian wanted\u00a0 to obstruct\u00a0 their \u00a0influence in\u00a0 defining\u00a0 Byzantium\u2019s political\u00a0 culture, its religion, its\u00a0 education and\u00a0 its philosophical mode of\u00a0 thought, which had been\u00a0 based to\u00a0 a\u00a0 large\u00a0 degree on\u00a0 the\u00a0 Jewish Cultural and\u00a0 Religious\u00a0 Traditions\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Old\u00a0 Testament\u00a0 and the\u00a0 Jewish Prophets!!!<\/p>\n For\u00a0 example, in a historical text\u00a0\u00a0 devoted to\u00a0 the\u00a0 life\u00a0 and\u00a0 philosophy\u00a0 of\u00a0 Emperor Julian, providing historical commentaries made by\u00a0\u00a0 distinguished Greek historians, it is\u00a0 stated that\u00a0 \u201c\u2026(historian) Constantinos Paparigopoulos,\u00a0 emphasizes the difficult childhood years on\u00a0 Julian\u2019s\u00a0 character. In\u00a0 a\u00a0 scholarly way,\u00a0 with an affinity for\u00a0 understanding, he attributes the hostile position taken by\u00a0 Julian in\u00a0 relation to \u00a0the new religion(Christianity), not\u00a0 only on psychological and\u00a0 personal\u00a0 reasons but\u00a0 also on\u00a0 the influence which\u00a0 had exercised upon him the \u201cglorious\u00a0 aesthetic beauty\u201d of\u00a0 an\u00a0 Athens in decline\u2026\u201d!!! Similarly, we read that \u201c\u2026(historian)Caterina\u00a0 Christophilopoulou, in\u00a0 her book\u00a0 \u2018the History of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantium\u2019, she often refers to the Emperor(Julian)\u2026Christophilopoulou does not\u00a0 omit \u00a0to\u00a0 talk about the events during the childhood\u00a0 years\u00a0 of the Emperor\u2026She\u00a0 assigns great importance on\u00a0 the\u00a0 psychological effects of\u00a0 so\u00a0 many killings experienced by a small child\u2026\u201d!!!( translation\u00a0 of \u00a0the Greek text)(p.3,https:\/\/el.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ioulianos<\/a>)<\/p>\n In\u00a0 the same biographical\u00a0 text, there is\u00a0 also\u00a0 an\u00a0 analysis made on the\u00a0\u00a0 personality of\u00a0 Julian,\u00a0 undertaken by the historian Ioannis\u00a0 Karagianopoulos in the first\u00a0 volume of\u00a0 his\u00a0 work,\u00a0 \u2018The History of the Byzantium\u2019, where he states that \u201c\u2026in the political arena, and especially in\u00a0 his clashes with\u00a0 Constantius, Julian seems to be in a state\u00a0 of\u00a0 anxiety\u00a0 and\u00a0 fear, almost a precautionary fear, by products of circumstances. As \u00a0\u00a0a\u00a0 human being he is presented\u00a0 as\u00a0 oversensitive and unbalanced, courteous and\u00a0 amiable, loved by his peers and the simple folk, studious with an\u00a0 impressive education. His\u00a0 religious \u00a0policy is\u00a0 characterized as\u00a0 \u2018unrealistic\u2019 and he is considered as \u2018a\u00a0 romantic \u00a0emperor\u2019\u2026\u201d!!!( translation of the Greek text)(p.3,https:\/\/el.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ioulianos<\/a>)<\/p>\n From the\u00a0 historical descriptions of\u00a0 these\u00a0 eminent Greek historians, related to the personality and the work of\u00a0 Julian, we\u00a0 observe that on the \u00a0one hand they consider him a gifted politician , intellectually and\u00a0 scholarly, yet on the other\u00a0 hand, they\u00a0 describe him as\u00a0 unstable psychologically\u00a0 and a\u00a0 romantic ideologically, which\u00a0 means not a\u00a0 realist\u00a0 and\u00a0 a\u00a0 pragmatist!!! Under this particular historical perspective, these Greek historians invalidate in \u201can indirect way\u201d, Julian\u2019s policy in reviving\u00a0 Ancient Greek\u00a0 Civilization in the Byzantium and marginalizing the influence of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Church Establishment, socially, politically, culturally, but also economically!!!<\/p>\n How\u00a0 unstable psychologically, inconsistent mentally and\u00a0 romantic or fanciful ideologically\u00a0 Julian was, we shall discover by\u00a0 examining\u00a0 his\u00a0 personal\u00a0 acts and\u00a0 his \u00a0written words!!!<\/p>\n We\u00a0 have\u00a0 already mentioned that the historical epochs of\u00a0 European Renaissance and\u00a0 European Enlightenment, when the\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Ideological \u00a0\u00a0Standards, like rationalism ,the \u00a0dialectic thinking process, equanimity and the freedom of thought\u00a0 and\u00a0 expression, were\u00a0 accepted as\u00a0 \u201csacred\u201d\u00a0 for the aesthetics and the quality of life\u00a0 as\u00a0 a whole, the intellectuals of\u00a0 those time periods, \u201cstigmatized\u201d the\u00a0 Byzantium as a state entity without any political, cultural and\u00a0 social\u00a0 cohesion, without any\u00a0 historical identity!!! Contrary to\u00a0 this position, these\u00a0 same intellectuals\u00a0 and\u00a0 scholars\u00a0 considered \u00a0the Byzantine Political \u00a0Career \u00a0\u00a0of\u00a0 Julian, as\u00a0 a\u00a0 bright historical\u00a0 exception and \u00a0a spiritual parenthesis \u00a0to\u00a0 the\u00a0 autocratic\u00a0 policies of the\u00a0\u00a0 Byzantine\u00a0 Emperors\u00a0 and\u00a0 to\u00a0 the\u00a0 ideological obscurity\u00a0 of\u00a0 the Greek\u00a0 Orthodox\u00a0 Church and\u00a0 the\u00a0 International\u00a0 Jewish Establishment\u00a0 which it\u00a0 supported and promoted !!!(p.2,http:\/\/www.mixanitouxronou.gr\/san-simera-gia-afrio-ioulianos-<\/a>)<\/p>\n The\u00a0 founding\u00a0 fathers of\u00a0 European\u00a0 Renaissance\u00a0 and\u00a0 European\u00a0 Enlightenment\u00a0 recognized\u00a0 Emperor Julian as a\u00a0 hero, a\u00a0 radical, a\u00a0 well – read\u00a0 philosopher\u00a0 and\u00a0 a good\u00a0 political\u00a0 leader, someone who \u00a0had been\u00a0 unfairly\u00a0 treated\u00a0 by\u00a0 his\u00a0 peers. Through\u00a0 their\u00a0 \u201cobjective\u201d\u00a0 historical analyses, these\u00a0 European intellectuals, utilizing rationalism , empiricism and a dialectic\u00a0 critique, concerning the\u00a0 vast\u00a0 societal\u00a0\u00a0 powers of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Church and\u00a0 the\u00a0 authoritarianism of\u00a0 Byzantine political rule, they explained that\u00a0 the hostile\u00a0 position taken by\u00a0 the Political and\u00a0 the\u00a0 Clerical Establishment\u00a0 in relation to\u00a0 Emperor Julian\u00a0 was \u00a0a\u00a0 consequence\u00a0 of\u00a0 his \u201cunorthodox policies\u201d ,undermining their own societal status and\u00a0 personal interests. They said\u00a0 that, \u201c\u2026 then, they(the Church establishment)\u00a0 had characterized a\u00a0 truly\u00a0 great human\u00a0 as\u00a0 a\u00a0 \u2018transgressor\u2019, because he\u00a0 prevented them from plundering the\u00a0 empire. Also, because he\u00a0 prevented them \u00a0from\u00a0 destroying philosophy , the\u00a0 letters, the arts\u00a0 and\u00a0 the Hellenic philosophic way of\u00a0 thinking, of\u00a0 living and\u00a0 of\u00a0 acting\u00a0 freely. In \u00a0a\u00a0 world where darkness, intellectual\u00a0 ignorance and\u00a0 Christianity were prevalent, like today\u2026\u201d.(translation of the Greek text)(p.1,http:\/\/www.theasis.gr\/koinonia\/art-new\/313-o-ioulianos-pragmatikos-<\/a>)<\/p>\n The Greek historian \u00a0Constantinos Paparigopoulos, in his famous work, \u2018The\u00a0 History of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Nation\u2019, explains that\u00a0 even though\u00a0 Emperor Julian had instituted the policy\u00a0 of\u00a0 \u2018religious\u00a0 tolerance\u2019 \u00a0of\u00a0 Constantine the\u00a0 Great, the\u00a0 official Greek historiography and the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Orthodox\u00a0 Church, never stopped\u00a0 categorizing him as an \u201capostate\u201d and\u00a0 as a \u201ctransgressor\u201d, the\u00a0 moment\u00a0 that\u00a0 he\u00a0 personally had rejected Christianity as\u00a0 his\u00a0 own belief system\u00a0 and had\u00a0 dispensed with the state privileges of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Christian clerics.<\/p>\n As\u00a0 with\u00a0 Constantine the\u00a0 Great(306A.D.-337A.D.), the\u00a0 universal application of the social\u00a0 institution of\u00a0 \u201creligious freedom\u201d within the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire, meant that all religions were\u00a0 protected by\u00a0 the\u00a0 governing institutions of the\u00a0 state, on\u00a0 condition that\u00a0 the\u00a0 particular\u00a0 religion did not entrench on or undermine the political integrity\u00a0 and the political stability of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine State.<\/p>\n Using\u00a0 the same prerogatives as\u00a0 Constantine\u00a0 the\u00a0 Great in applying \u201creligious\u00a0 freedom\u201d within\u00a0 Byzantium, Julian utilized\u00a0 state\u00a0 policies, with\u00a0 the only\u00a0 difference being that\u00a0 for him any\u00a0 religion which\u00a0 obstructed or\u00a0 distorted his\u00a0 policy\u00a0 of\u00a0 reviving and then establishing Ancient\u00a0 Greek Civilization as representative of \u00a0all sectors of\u00a0 the state and society in general, had to\u00a0 be marginalized and\u00a0 weakened. For\u00a0\u00a0 Julian, this religion was\u00a0 Christianity, because first of all, it came\u00a0 into\u00a0 conflict culturally\u00a0 and ideologically with Greek\u00a0 Civilization, \u00a0which\u00a0 Julian\u00a0 had\u00a0 embraced through\u00a0 his Greek education, as\u00a0 well\u00a0 as the fact that the\u00a0 Christian clerics were legally\u00a0 unaccountable , while permanently enriching themselves, burdening financially\u00a0 the\u00a0 state funds through government grants and\u00a0 tax exemptions on\u00a0 their\u00a0 property and\u00a0 revenues!!!<\/p>\n At\u00a0 the\u00a0 same\u00a0 time, Emperor Julian, considered that\u00a0 an\u00a0 accumulation of\u00a0 great\u00a0 wealth by the\u00a0 Greek Orthodox Church and its\u00a0 clergy, undermined the economic self-reliance and\u00a0 naturally the\u00a0 powers of\u00a0 the\u00a0 local\u00a0 governments\u00a0 and\u00a0 administrations, while it\u00a0 also provided\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Orthodox Church with the means, \u201dthe\u00a0 gold coins\u201d, to buy\u00a0 off \u00a0the consciences and\u00a0 the loyalty of\u00a0 \u00a0local\u00a0 state officials, therefore influencing their state\u00a0 policies and\u00a0 legal decisions !!!(p.2,http:\/\/www.theasis.gr\/koinonia\/art-new\/313-o-ioulianos-pragmatikos-<\/a>)<\/p>\n Through the\u00a0 state\u00a0 legislation\u00a0 for\u00a0 \u201creligious\u00a0 tolerance\u201d, Julian \u201d\u2026provided general amnesty\u00a0 to\u00a0 the exiled Christian heretics, returned\u00a0 their confiscated property and brought back from exile those Orthodox\u00a0 Christians who\u00a0 had\u00a0 been\u00a0 banished\u00a0 by\u00a0 the\u00a0 Arian(heretical Christian dogma)\u00a0 Emperor\u00a0 Constantius B\u2019\u2026\u201d.(translation of \u00a0the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 text)(p.2,http:\/\/www.theasis.gr\/koinonia\/art-new\/313-o-ioulianos-pragmatikos-<\/a>)<\/p>\n Even\u00a0 with the\u00a0 Jewish\u00a0 Community of\u00a0 the\u00a0\u00a0 Byzantine Empire, in 363A.D., before starting his\u00a0 military\u00a0 campaigns against Persia\u00a0 of\u00a0 the Sassanids, Julian allowed the\u00a0 Byzantine\u00a0 Jews to\u00a0 return to\u00a0 Palestine, clarifying to them that he\u00a0 was responding to\u201d\u2026 their deep historical and religious desire to\u00a0 go back to\u00a0 Jerusalem, their holy\u00a0 city, which they\u00a0 yearned for in such a long time to\u00a0 rebuild\u2026\u201d. At\u00a0 the\u00a0 same time, he\u00a0 permitted them to renovate the\u00a0 Holy Temple of\u00a0 Solomon in Jerusalem!!!(p.6,http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jewish-history<\/a>)<\/p>\n Julian\u00a0 did\u00a0 not\u00a0 implement a\u00a0 policy of\u00a0 religious persecution against his\u00a0 Christian citizens, because\u00a0 from his long experience in public life, as\u00a0 a political official of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire, he\u00a0 knew\u00a0 very\u00a0 well that\u00a0 Christian Martyrs elevated the\u00a0 religious\u00a0 status and\u00a0 the\u00a0 popular appeal of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Christian Orthodox Church, which \u201ctheoretically\u201d, its ideology and\u00a0 social\u00a0 values did not condone religious\u00a0 violence.<\/p>\n Even though Julian as Byzantine Emperor did not wish to induce the persecution of\u00a0 his\u00a0 Christian subjects because of\u00a0 the\u00a0 state policy of\u00a0 \u201creligious freedom\u201d, he\u00a0 nevertheless enforced strict \u00a0legal\u00a0 stipulations concerning any activity by the\u00a0 Christians which would undermine \u00a0\u00a0public\u00a0 order\u00a0 so that\u00a0 they\u00a0 could\u00a0 \u00a0protect their own\u00a0 economic\u00a0 interests and\u00a0 privileges at\u00a0 the\u00a0 expense of\u00a0 the\u00a0 financial self-sufficiency of\u00a0 the\u00a0 ordinary\u00a0 citizen and the\u00a0 state departments\u00a0 and institutions!!!<\/p>\n In his\u00a0 letter to\u00a0 the\u00a0 inhabitants of\u00a0 Basra, Julian addressing the\u00a0 Christian population of that\u00a0 major city\u00a0 in\u00a0 Asia Minor, writes the\u00a0 following:\u201d\u2026Instead of\u00a0 feeling\u00a0 content that they\u00a0 have\u00a0 not\u00a0 been\u00a0 punished for\u00a0 their wrongful actions, they\u00a0 long for\u00a0 their\u00a0 previous powers, and\u00a0 because they cannot anymore\u00a0 direct\u00a0 trials, draw up wills, usurp other people\u2019s\u00a0 estates\u00a0 and\u00a0 make\u00a0 them\u00a0 their\u00a0 own, they are\u00a0 \u201cpulling the strings\u201d to\u00a0 instill\u00a0 social\u00a0 unrest, adding \u00a0fuel to\u00a0 the\u00a0 fire, exploiting old\u00a0 tribulations to\u00a0 create new\u00a0 ones and \u00a0leading the public\u00a0 to\u00a0 social discord.<\/p>\n I \u00a0\u00a0have\u00a0 therefore decided to\u00a0 announce to\u00a0 all \u00a0of\u00a0 the\u00a0 city\u2019s inhabitants\u00a0 that it\u00a0 is\u00a0 forbidden for\u00a0 them to rise up with\u00a0 the\u00a0 clerics , to\u00a0 be\u00a0 misled by\u00a0 them and\u00a0 to take up\u00a0 stones, demonstrating\u00a0 insubordination towards \u00a0\u00a0their\u00a0 state officials.<\/p>\n They\u00a0 are\u00a0 free to\u00a0 assemble whenever they\u00a0 want \u00a0and\u00a0 to pray for\u00a0 themselves the\u00a0 manner\u00a0 they\u00a0 choose. Nevertheless, if\u00a0 some want to convince them\u00a0 to\u00a0 rise up, supposedly for\u00a0 their own\u00a0 proper interests, they\u00a0 should\u00a0 not\u00a0 participate in\u00a0 these\u00a0 type of\u00a0 disturbances so as not to have\u00a0 to face heavy punishment\u2026\u201d.(translation\u00a0 of\u00a0 the Greek\u00a0 text)(p.4,http:\/\/www.theasis.gr\/koinonia\/art-new\/313-o-ioulianos-pragmatikos-<\/a>)<\/p>\n Emperor Julian\u2019s\u00a0 policy and\u00a0 strategy of\u00a0 reviving\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Civilization\u00a0 did\u00a0 not\u00a0 only\u00a0 involve limiting the religious, political, cultural\u00a0 and\u00a0 economic influence exercised by\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Orthodox\u00a0 Church and\u00a0 its\u00a0 Christian followers, always with the\u00a0 International\u00a0 Jewish\u00a0 Establishment \u201clobbying behind\u00a0 the scenes\u201d, but it\u00a0 also aimed\u00a0 at\u00a0 reinstating\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Religion and\u00a0 its\u00a0 institutions. Julian initiated \u00a0the\u00a0 promotion and\u00a0 the\u00a0 consolidation of\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Philosophy\u00a0 and the\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Sciences in\u00a0 education, and finally, the application of\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Social\u00a0 Standards in\u00a0 the upbringing and\u00a0 character formation of\u00a0 young\u00a0 people!!!(p.3,https:\/\/el.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ioulianos<\/a>)<\/p>\n In\u00a0 order\u00a0 to\u00a0 ensure that\u00a0 Ancient Greek Education and\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Character\u00a0 Formation would be propagated and diffused within the schools and the academies of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine\u00a0 Empire, he\u00a0 passed a\u00a0 decree excluding all\u00a0 Christian\u00a0 educators from\u00a0 teaching\u00a0 in\u00a0 schools, because he believed that\u00a0 these school\u00a0 instructors would distort the\u00a0 context of\u00a0 their\u00a0 curriculum , reinforcing their\u00a0 Christian propaganda and \u00a0spreading \u00a0\u00a0the\u00a0 Christian Religion within the various educational \u00a0institutions and\u00a0 throughout Byzantine\u00a0 Society.<\/p>\n Since the \u201cdriving force\u201d behind the propagation and\u00a0 the consolidation of the Judeo-Christian Religion in the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire was the\u00a0 Greek Orthodox\u00a0 Church with its seat in\u00a0 Constantinople, Emperor Julian with a\u00a0\u00a0 number\u00a0 of\u00a0 decrees\u00a0 \u201c\u2026put\u00a0 a\u00a0 break\u00a0 at\u00a0 the license of\u00a0 the clerics\u00a0 and\u00a0 the\u00a0 enrichment\u00a0 of the\u00a0 Church, without nevertheless\u00a0 proceeding to\u00a0 their\u00a0 persecution\u2026he prohibited\u00a0 bequests to\u00a0 the\u00a0 churches and\u00a0 obliged Christians to\u00a0 compensate for\u00a0 all the damages \u00a0they\u00a0 had\u00a0 caused\u00a0 to\u00a0 the\u00a0 holy temples\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Ethnics(pagan Greek citizens)\u2026\u201d.(translation of \u00a0the \u00a0Greek text)(p.2,http:\/\/www.theasis.gr\/koinonia\/art-new\/313-o-ioulianos-pragmatikos-<\/a>)<\/p>\n Justifying his\u00a0 stance on \u00a0forbidding\u00a0 Christian educators teaching in public educational institutions, Emperor\u00a0 Julian sent\u00a0 a\u00a0 letter\u00a0 to\u00a0 the\u00a0 inhabitants of\u00a0 the city\u00a0 of\u00a0\u00a0 Edessa in\u00a0 Macedonia, telling them the following:\u201d\u2026I\u00a0 \u00a0believe that a proper education does not only \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0entail the \u00a0handling of\u00a0 words and\u00a0 language in\u00a0 an organised \u00a0manner, but also in excelling, by\u00a0 having a\u00a0 healthy disposition \u00a0to\u00a0\u00a0 thinking logically, to\u00a0 having the\u00a0 correct opinion of\u00a0 what\u00a0 is\u00a0 right and what is \u00a0wrong, what\u00a0 is\u00a0 beautiful and what is\u00a0 obscene.<\/p>\n Therefore, the\u00a0 person who does\u00a0 not believe in\u00a0 what\u00a0 he\u00a0 is\u00a0 teaching\u00a0 to\u00a0 his\u00a0 students, I\u00a0 think \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0has distanced\u00a0 himself to the same\u00a0 degree from\u00a0 education\u00a0\u00a0 as from \u00a0\u00a0his own \u00a0integrity\u2026 And\u00a0 if\u00a0 the\u00a0 difference between one\u2019s thoughts and\u00a0 what\u00a0 one\u00a0 says involves \u00a0trivial\u00a0 matters, then the harm can\u00a0 be\u00a0 tolerated. Nevertheless, in\u00a0 critical matters, if\u00a0 someone teaches the opposite of what he believes, how can\u00a0 he not\u00a0 be\u00a0 considered a\u00a0 sly\u00a0 person, very different\u00a0 from being honest\u00a0 and\u00a0 conscientious, who\u00a0 speaks in a positive way about things which he considers worthless; misleading\u00a0 and\u00a0 enticing\u00a0 with\u00a0 praises all\u00a0 those who\u00a0 he\u00a0 wants\u00a0 to\u00a0 transmit his\u00a0 own improprieties.<\/p>\n As\u00a0 a\u00a0 consequence, all those\u00a0 people who\u00a0 call \u00a0themselves teachers, have\u00a0 to be\u00a0 just and logical human\u00a0 beings, and\u00a0 the ideas that they have embraced should not come\u00a0 into\u00a0 conflict with\u00a0 their public functions\u2026\u201d.(translation of \u00a0the\u00a0 Greek text)(pp.2-3,http:\/\/www.theasis.gr\/koinonia\/art-new\/313-o-ioulianos-pragmatikos-<\/a>)<\/p>\n Basil\u00a0 the\u00a0 Great, the\u00a0 future archbishop of\u00a0\u00a0 Caesaria\u00a0 in\u00a0 Cappadocia( Asia Minor)\u00a0 and\u00a0 Gregory\u00a0 the\u00a0 Theologian , the\u00a0 future\u00a0 archbishop of\u00a0 Constantinople, had been schoolmates with\u00a0 Julian at\u00a0 the\u00a0 Ethnic Academies of\u00a0\u00a0 Athens, when the last\u00a0 one was\u00a0 Caesar, approximately\u00a0 between\u00a0 354A.D.\u00a0 and\u00a0 355A.D.. These\u00a0 first\u00a0 two\u00a0 Fathers of\u00a0 Christian\u00a0 Orthodoxy,\u00a0 had\u00a0 then, tried through\u00a0 discussions and\u00a0 religious\u00a0 arguments to\u00a0 convince Julian not\u00a0 to\u00a0 attempt\u00a0 to\u00a0 revive Ancient \u00a0Greek\u00a0 Civilization and the Pagan Religion of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greeks, which\u00a0 for\u00a0 them meant \u201cidolatry\u201d. Finally, they\u00a0 were not\u00a0 able to\u00a0 change\u00a0 Julian\u2019s\u00a0 beliefs.<\/p>\n When in 361A.D., Julian became\u00a0 Emperor\u00a0 and\u00a0 absolute\u00a0 ruler\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine\u00a0 Empire, reinstating the culture\u00a0 and\u00a0 the religion of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greeks, his\u00a0 former\u00a0 companions and\u00a0 classmates, now, powerful and influential\u00a0 clerics, fought\u00a0 him in\u00a0 a\u00a0 coarse\u00a0 and\u00a0 shameless way through their\u00a0 Christian\u00a0 propaganda diffused within\u00a0 the\u00a0 churches, the\u00a0 archdioceses and\u00a0 the\u00a0 monasteries of \u00a0the Byzantium!!!<\/p>\n In\u00a0 one\u00a0 of the sermons\u00a0 given\u00a0 by\u00a0 Gregory the\u00a0 Theologian, directed against\u00a0 Emperor\u00a0 Julian, he\u00a0 assigns\u00a0 to\u00a0 him the\u00a0 following\u00a0\u00a0 defamatory\u00a0\u00a0 epithets:\u201d\u2026disrespectful, persecutor, traitor, tone deaf, insatiable, dogmatic, a sophist, a\u00a0 killer of\u00a0\u00a0 Christians, hateful towards God, a\u00a0 dragon, an apostate, a\u00a0 pig covered in mud, a public enemy, etc…\u201d.( translation\u00a0 of \u00a0the Greek text)(p.38,Tsolis,Michalis,\u2019Saint\u00a0 Gregory the\u00a0 Theologian\u2019, The\u00a0 Orthodox Press, Athens 1997)<\/p>\n The\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 historian , Polymnia Athanasiadou, in\u00a0 her\u00a0 joint work for\u00a0 the Athens\u00a0 Editing House, \u2018The History of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Nation\u2019, describes the 16 month reign of\u00a0 Julian \u00a0\u00a0as\u00a0 positive, based\u00a0 on\u00a0 his\u00a0 policies involving the development of\u00a0 the cities, his\u00a0 social\u00a0 and administrative reforms, as\u00a0 well as\u00a0 his\u00a0 initiatives\u00a0 related\u00a0 to innovations\u00a0 he made\u00a0 in\u00a0 Byzantium\u2019s\u00a0 military complex\u00a0 and\u00a0 justice\u00a0 system.<\/p>\n Doctor Athanasiadou characterizes Emperor Julian as\u00a0 \u201c\u2026one\u00a0 of\u00a0 the most\u00a0 gifted, courteous and\u00a0 amicable \u00a0figures in\u00a0 world history\u2026\u201d(translation\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek text)(p.3,https:\/\/el.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ioulianos<\/a>).While according to\u00a0 the\u00a0 French Historian, Cousin, in his book, \u2019The\u00a0 History\u00a0 of\u00a0 Greek Philosophy\u2019, he \u00a0emphasizes the fact\u00a0 that \u201c\u2026 the\u00a0 whole world of\u00a0\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Philosophy essentially\u00a0 came\u00a0 to\u00a0 an\u00a0 end with\u00a0 the\u00a0 death of Julian\u2026\u201d.(translation\u00a0 of\u00a0 the Greek text)(p.2,https:\/\/el.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ioulianos<\/a>)<\/p>\n Immediately after the death\u00a0 of\u00a0 Julian\u00a0 in\u00a0 June of\u00a0 363A.D.,\u201d\u2026a\u00a0 wave of terror broke\u00a0 out in the Eastern regions of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine Empire. At\u00a0 the\u00a0 same\u00a0 time, the\u00a0 Great\u00a0 Library\u00a0 of\u00a0\u00a0 Antioch(major city\u00a0 in\u00a0 Asia Minor)\u00a0 was\u00a0 set\u00a0 ablaze. There followed mass\u00a0 persecutions and\u00a0 violent killings of\u00a0 philosophers, convictions\u00a0 for magic\u00a0 were imposed against\u00a0 the\u00a0 believers\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 divinities, there was destruction\u00a0 of\u00a0 ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 temples but\u00a0 also of\u00a0\u00a0 places\u00a0 of\u00a0 popular\u00a0 gathering by\u00a0 non-Christian Greeks, which\u00a0 did not\u00a0 represent\u00a0 locations\u00a0 of ritual, like gymnasiums(schools) and\u00a0 museums. This went to its final\u00a0 phase, with the interdiction of\u00a0 the ancient Greek religion by\u00a0 Byzantine\u00a0 Emperor Theodosius in\u00a0 November\u00a0 392A.D. and the simultaneous prohibition of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Olympic\u00a0 Games\u2026\u201d.(translation of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek text)(p.5,http:\/\/www.theasis.gr\/koinonia\/art-new\/313-o-ioulianos-prgamatikos-<\/a>)<\/p>\n From the\u00a0 three\u00a0 Fathers of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Orthodox\u00a0 Church, we\u00a0 have\u00a0 already mentioned St. Basil the\u00a0 Great and\u00a0 St. Gregory the\u00a0 Theologian in relation to the\u00a0 propaganda\u00a0 war\u00a0 they \u00a0\u00a0waged\u00a0 against Emperor\u00a0 Julian, concerning his policy of\u00a0 reviving\u00a0 Ancient Greek Civilization and\u00a0 the\u00a0 Ancient Greek\u00a0 Religion within the\u00a0 Byzantium. St. John Chrysostom , the\u00a0 third\u00a0 Father of\u00a0\u00a0 Christian Orthodoxy, who\u00a0 was\u00a0 appointed\u00a0 Archbishop of\u00a0 Constantinople by\u00a0 Byzantine\u00a0 Emperor\u00a0 Arcadius\u00a0 on\u00a0 December 15, 398A.D., proved to\u00a0 be more\u00a0 influential and more\u00a0 forceful in\u00a0 his\u00a0 battle\u00a0 against the Ethnics(non-Christian Greek citizens), compared to St. Basil\u00a0 and\u00a0 St. Gregory.\u00a0 This\u00a0 was\u00a0 because he\u00a0 enjoyed the\u00a0 absolute political support and\u00a0 backing of\u00a0 Emperor\u00a0 Arcadius(395A.D.-408A.D.) and \u00a0that\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Political\u00a0 Elites \u00a0of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Byzantine\u00a0 State.<\/p>\n We\u00a0 shall therefore present some historical\u00a0 commentaries and historical \u00a0facts \u00a0which relate to the position and the actions\u00a0 taken by\u00a0 St. John Chrysostom , concerning \u00a0the religious freedoms of the\u00a0 Ethnics(Byzantine Greek pagans), as\u00a0 well\u00a0 as\u00a0 their\u00a0 cultural institutions and\u00a0 their\u00a0 religious\u00a0 traditions\u00a0 which\u00a0 stemmed from\u00a0 Ancient Greek Civilization!!!<\/p>\n St. John Chrysostom, criticizing the ideology of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Ethnics(non-Christian Greek\u00a0 citizens) and their\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Philosophers, remarks the\u00a0 following:\u201d\u2026If\u00a0 you examine closely\u00a0 the\u00a0 inner thoughts of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greeks, you\u00a0 will\u00a0 find\u00a0 ashes and\u00a0 dust , and\u00a0 nothing\u00a0 wholesome, just\u00a0 an\u00a0 open\u00a0 tomb(the\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek Philosophers), full\u00a0 of\u00a0 filth and pus, with\u00a0 their dogmas swarming with maggots\u2026 these are\u00a0 the things\u00a0 that\u00a0 the Greeks begot\u00a0 and\u00a0 augmented, from what they\u00a0 acquired from the philosophers\u2026We\u00a0 shall not\u00a0 abandon\u00a0 our\u00a0 fight\u00a0 against\u00a0 them\u2026\u201d.(translation of the\u00a0 Greek text)(pp.2-3,http:\/\/apollonios.pblogs.gr\/2015\/06\/oi-anthellhnes-orthodoxoi-patere-<\/a>)<\/p>\n In\u00a0 the\u00a0 following text\u00a0 by\u00a0 St. \u00a0Chrysostom, comparing the\u00a0 quality of\u00a0 the\u00a0 person who is\u00a0 a\u00a0 Christian believer and\u00a0 the Greek\u00a0 Byzantine citizen who\u00a0 feels\u00a0 an\u00a0 affinity towards the\u00a0 Ancient\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Spirit, he\u00a0 notes\u00a0 the\u00a0 following:\u201d\u2026the\u00a0 more\u00a0 uncivilized a\u00a0 nation\u00a0 seems and refrains from\u00a0 Greek education, so\u00a0 much\u00a0 more brilliant our\u00a0 followers\u00a0 seem\u2026 So\u00a0 that the uncivilized believer, has conquered the\u00a0 whole\u00a0 world\u2026 and\u00a0 while everything\u00a0 which\u00a0 is\u00a0 related\u00a0 to\u00a0 the\u00a0 Greeks is\u00a0 dying\u00a0 off and\u00a0 is\u00a0 annihilated, those things involving the\u00a0 uncivilized believer, become brighter everyday\u2026\u201d.(translation of the\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 text)(pp.2-3,http:\/\/apollonios.pblogs.gr\/2015\/06\/oi-anthellhnes-orthodoxoi-patere-<\/a>)<\/p>\n After\u00a0 the above\u00a0\u00a0 commentary, St.\u00a0 Chrysostom\u00a0\u00a0 expresses\u00a0 his\u00a0 total\u00a0 abhorrence\u00a0 towards\u00a0 the\u00a0 major\u00a0 Greek\u00a0 Libraries, like the\u00a0 Library\u00a0 of\u00a0\u00a0 Alexandria, comparing their\u00a0 books and\u00a0 the\u00a0 knowledge they contain\u00a0 to\u00a0 \u201cdemons\u201d. He\u00a0 says,\u201d\u2026What kind of\u00a0 a\u00a0 holy\u00a0 place is\u00a0 the\u00a0 Temple\u00a0 of\u00a0 Serapis(library of\u00a0 Alexandria) through its books??? This\u00a0 cannot be \u2026since demons inhabit this\u00a0 place\u2026.probably\u00a0 their\u00a0 own demons(of the\u00a0 Greeks)\u2026and\u00a0 due to\u00a0 them(books) stands an\u00a0 invisible altar\u00a0 of\u00a0 deception, where human souls are\u00a0 being sacrificed\u2026.therefore\u00a0 understand and\u00a0 reveal(spread the message)\u00a0 that\u00a0 demons live\u00a0 there\u2026\u201d.(translation of the\u00a0 Greek text)(pp.2-3,http:\/\/apollonius.pblogs.gr\/2015\/06\/oi-anthellhnes-orthodoxoi-patere-<\/a>)<\/p>\n