“The author uses the person of Julian as a lay figure on which to arrange his philosophical tenets, in the form of a trophy.” (Lond. Times.) Julian was “a man of brilliant intellect and strenuous morality in revolt from a corrupted Christianity. As such the Emperor Julian gained from the Church of his time the name of ‘Apostate,’ which has stuck to him since. As such he heads a long line of those whom the false representatives of Christianity have scandalized into rejection of the faith presented to them so deformed and smirched.... He is not, however, hindered by his admiration for the austere idealist who is his hero from seeing his faults and fallacies, and pronouncing ‘insane’ his attempt to revitalize and purify an effete and corrupted paganism.” (Outlook.)
“May not be free from minor defects, but it has this great merit—that there is perfect sympathy between the author and his subject and for this reason it may be said to add to our knowledge of this most fascinating emperor, though it brings to light no new facts about his brief and romantic career. Though some obscurities may be due to the author, the translator shows a disposition, regrettable in what is intended to be a popular work, to employ unfamiliar and borrowed words where simpler terms might with advantage have been used.”
+ + – Acad. 70: 87. Ja. 27, ’06. 1510w.
“The work is diffuse, and even repetitious, but never tiresome. Without a knowledge of the original, one may believe the translator to have been for the most part successful.” Francis A. Christie.
+ + – Am. Hist. R. 11: 631. Ap. ’06. 1150w.
“The monograph, which is written in a delightfully interesting style, is evidently based on a careful and discriminating study of the original authorities. The translator’s accuracy is almost equal to her taste, but we may note a few trifling corrections.”
+ + – Ath. 1906, 1: 262. Mr. 3. 830w.
“Some slips will be found in these two large volumes, and one rather large error—the acceptance as genuine of Julian’s letters to Iamblichus.”
+ + – Nation. 82: 324. Ap. 19, ’06. 600w.