Chapter XXII: The Rise of Julian the Apostate

Thrilling stuff. Julian, having made a good go of the West from Paris, is proclaimed emperor, possibly reluctantly, by his own troops; he marches east to confront Constantius, himself taking a devious detour through southern Germany to descend on Sirmium by the Danube (while most of his troops head through Austria and Italy); and the final confrontation is averted when Constantius suddenly dies of natural causes, aged 45. Julian therefore takes over the whole empire peacefully, and purges the corrupt officials of the court, having also pledged to restore the old religion.