'Death of the Gods' Summary

In "Death of the Gods," Dmitri Merezhkovsky explores the theme of Christ and Antichrist in the figure of the Roman emperor Julian, who sought to reverse the transition to Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire. Born Flavius Claudius Julianus, Julian came to be known as ‘Julian the Apostate’, especially by Christians. This nephew of ‘Constantine the Great’ sought to restore the traditional Roman gods and suppress Christianity. Merezhkovsky portrays Julian as a complex and conflicted figure, torn between his pagan beliefs and his admiration for Christ. The novel follows Julian's rise to power, his attempts to revive paganism, and his eventual defeat and death in battle against the Persians. Through Julian's story, Merezhkovsky explores the nature of faith, the conflict between paganism and Christianity, and the eternal struggle between good and evil.