The History of Late Antiquity, written by the last National Greek author Zosimus, is the only Greek (non-Latin and non-ecclesiastical) historical source we have for the crucial and turbulent fourth century AD. Zosimus' New History reaches up to the sack of Rome by Alaric. A critical century full of civil wars, Christian intolerance, corruption, destructive barbarian invasions, power usurpations, shortsighted and harsh emperors like Constantine, Theodosius, Honorius, has preceded... Among all these, the brief reign of Julian will shine like the sun. With his premature death, all hope for the revival of Greco-Roman culture will fade: the world steps over the threshold of the Middle Ages with torches and lamps, and the few remaining Nationals seek the causes of barbarization in the dominance of Christianity and the abandonment of the ancient religion... [Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]