Dmitry Sergeyevich Merezhkovsky (1866–1941) was a Russian writer, poet, translator, and thinker, one of the founders of Symbolism in Russia. His collection "Symbols" (1892) gave its name to an entire literary movement. Merezhkovsky's creative legacy includes translations of ancient Greek tragedies, critical studies ("L. Tolstoy and Dostoevsky: Life and Work," 1901–1902), and the historical trilogies "Christ and Antichrist" (1895–1905) and "The Kingdom of the Beast" (1908–1918). He spent the last decades of his life in exile, remaining a staunch opponent of Bolshevism.

The novel "Julian the Apostate" (originally "The Death of the Gods") opened the "Christ and Antichrist" trilogy and is dedicated to the figure of the Roman Emperor Julian, nicknamed the Apostate for his attempt to restore pagan religion and halt the spread of Christianity. Against a broad historical backdrop, Merezhkovsky depicts the clash of two worlds—ancient and Christian, pagan philosophy and the new faith.

The book combines historical accuracy, philosophical depth, and artistic scope, transforming Julian's fate into a symbol of the tragic struggle between the fading antiquity and the advancing Christian era.