Giuliano, Alla Madre degli dèi: in margine a un nuovo volume

Julian’s hymn To the Mother of the Gods is a key text for understanding the emperor’s philosophical-religious thought and his political strategy to revive paganism in the 4th century. Long dismissed by Neoplatonist scholars as disjointed and obscure, this complex work has recently undergone significant scholarly reappraisal. Michael Schramm’s 2025 volume Kaiser Julian, Auf die Göttermutter (De Gruyter, 2025), featuring a critical edition, new German translation, and commentary, finally accords this important text the attention it merits. Schramm uncovers remarkable structural coherence in a work supposedly composed in a single night. The hymn’s three carefully crafted sections – analyzing myth, theology, and ritual practice – serve both protreptic and apologetic functions. Julian strategically juxtaposes Cybele-Attis worship with Christian doctrine (particularly the Christ/Virgin narrative), addressing educated audiences across religious divides. More than personal devotion, the work constitutes a calculated political statement affirming classical religion’s enduring vitality. Schramm’s commentary excels through its interdisciplinary rigor. My analysis highlights three groundbreaking contributions: tracing Julian’s intellectual debt to Iamblichus, situating the hymn within Julian’s broader corpus, and revealing its systematic anti-Christian subtext. Together, these approaches demonstrate how Julian synthesized philosophical argumentation and religious polemic during this pivotal historical moment.