How well did Julian know Latin? Julian, Suetonius and Aurelius Victor
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Gabriel Requia Gabbardo
Abstract
This article re-examines the question of Emperor Julian’s knowledge of Latin, with particular focus on his supposed use of Suetonius and Aurelius Victor in the composition of the Caesares. While ancient and modern testimonies often assume Julian’s bilingualism, the evidence suggests that his mastery of Latin was limited to conversational and administrative registers, falling short of the literary Latin required to engage with authors such as Vergil, Cicero, Suetonius, or Victor. By comparing Julian’s Caesares with the Liber de Caesaribus and Suetonius’ De Vita Caesarum, this study demonstrates the absence of direct engagement with either author. The “Suetonian mirage,” whereby similarities are taken as proof of influence, is shown to dissolve under closer scrutiny, as Julian’s portrayals diverge markedly from Suetonian traditions and are more plausibly explained through Greek intermediaries. Likewise, the lacuna in Julian’s account of emperors from 235 to 260 CE underscores his lack of access to the Latin historiographical tradition epitomized by Victor. This article therefore argues that Julian, though capable of functional Latin communication, did not possess the literary training necessary to read or employ advanced Latin sources. The conclusion challenges recent claims of Julian’s reliance on Victor’s lost history and emphasizes instead the overwhelmingly Greek orientation of his paideia.
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