In 330, Basilina would marry Julius Constantius, the half-brother of Constantine the Great, who had defeated Licinius and seized control of the entire Roman Empire.
Emperor Constantius II issued an imperial decree that Julian was not to be instructed in ancient Greek philosophy, but Mardonius ignored this order.
[6] He took great care in bringing up Julian in accordance with his own conservative beliefs and principles, seeking to infuse the young prince with the Homeric virtue of simplicity.
[7] He also instructed Julian to walk modestly, with his eyes fixed on the ground, in contrast to the swaggery fashionable with Roman elites at the time.
[3][2] Julian’s freedom as a student had a powerful influence on him and ensured that for the first time in a century the future emperor would be a man of culture.