The letter of Julian to Arsacius, the High-priest of Galatia

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Julian was a son of Julius Constantius, half-brother of Constantine I (emperor 306 - 337 CE). Three sons of Constantine I -- Constantius II, Constantine II, and Constans -- began to rule the Roman empire after the death of their father. Royal family politics have been awkward throughout much of history, and it seems that two uncles and six cousins of Constantius II were massacred shortly after the death of Constantine I, leaving only the three ruling brothers, together with Gallus, Julian and Nepotianus as surviving male relatives of Constantine I. By 340 CE, Constantine II was also dead. Constans was overthrown in 350 CE; around the same time, Nepotianus managed to rule as emperor in Rome for about a month before being killed. In 351 CE, Constantius II appointed Gallus as Caesar, but had him executed in 354 and eventually appointed Julian as replacement. Family harmony, alas, did not persist forever, and in 361 CE the cousins prepared for war against each other, which was averted only by the sudden illness and death of Constantius II. Julian thus became emperor (361 - 363 CE). Although Julian had been raised a Christian under his grandmother's influence, somewhere around 351 CE he had become a devotee of the sun god, Helios; he nevertheless gave Constantius II a Christian burial in Constantinople. As a pagan, Julian hoped to restore paganism, and Arsacius was his appointment in Galatia. Julian died in his campaign against the Sassanids

Here is his letter (c. 362 CE) to Arsacius:

The Hellenic religion does not yet prosper as I desire, and it is the fault of those who profess it; for the worship of the gods is on a splendid and magnificent scale, surpassing every prayer and every hope ... Why, then, do we think that this is enough, why do we not observe that it is their benevolence to strangers, their care for the graves of the dead and the pretended holiness of their lives that have done most to increase atheism? I believe that we ought really and truly to practise every one of these virtues ... In every city establish frequent hostels in order that strangers may profit by our benevolence; I do not mean for our own people only, but for others also who are in need of money. I have but now made a plan by which you may be well provided for this; for I have given directions that 30,000 modii of corn shall be assigned every year for the whole of Galatia, and 60,000 pints of wine. I order that one-fifth of this be used for the poor who serve the priests, and the remainder be distributed by us to strangers and beggars. For it is disgraceful that, when no Jew ever has to beg, and the impious Galilaeans support not only their own poor but ours as well, all men see that our people lack aid from us. Teach those of the Hellenic faith to contribute to public service of this sort, and the Hellenic villages to offer their first fruits to the gods; and accustom those who love the Hellenic religion to these good works by teaching them that this was our practice of old ... Then let us not, by allowing others to outdo us in good works, disgrace by such remissness, or rather, utterly abandon, the reverence due to the gods ...

The charge of "atheism" here springs from the fact that the Jewish temple contained no visible idol to worship and that the Christians had followed this Jewish custom