The Death of the Gods (Christ and Antichrist, 1 of 3)

by Dmitry Sergeyevich Merezhkovsky

"The Death of the Gods" by Dmitry Merezhkovsky is a novel first published in 1895. It chronicles Roman Emperor Julian's doomed attempt to restore pagan worship against the rise of Christianity during his reign from 361 to 363. The first installment of "The Christ and Antichrist" trilogy, it explores the conflict between two truths: Christianity's heavenly spirituality and Paganism's earthly sensuality. Through Julian's spiritual struggle, Merezhkovsky examines humanity's suffering born from the clash between spirit and flesh, creating Russia's first Symbolist novel.