Dream divination in a context of social disruption: Julian's vision of the two trees

Bronwen Neil

doi:10.3390/rel15060631

Dream divination in a context of social disruption: Julian's vision of the two trees

Bronwen Neil^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of History and Archaeology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

The late Roman discourse on divinatory dreams and their interpretation reflects a context of cultural fragmentation. The political turbulence of the 350s to 360s was due partly to the ongoing external war with the (Persian) Sasanians, but also to the internal struggle between the heirs of Constantine for rule over the Roman empire, still undergoing a process of Christianization when Julian was acclaimed Augustus in 360. A third arena of fragmentation was religious beliefs and practices during the 350s and 360s. The contested transformation of Rome in the religious sphere was the context of Julian’s dynastic vision of the two trees, received in late 358 or 359.

Original language	English
Article number	631
Pages (from-to)	1-12
Number of pages	12
Journal	Religions
Volume	15
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060631
Publication status	Published - Jun 2024

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2024. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

Constantine I
Constantius II
divination
dream interpretation
emperor
Julian
later Roman empire
neo-Platonism
revelations

Access to Document

10.3390/rel15060631

Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 6.79 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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Dream divination in a context of social disruption: Julian's vision of the two trees

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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Crises of Leadership in the Eastern Roman Empire (250-1000 CE)

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Dream divination in a context of social disruption: Julian's vision of the two trees

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Projects

Crises of Leadership in the Eastern Roman Empire (250-1000 CE)

Cite this