QuotesCosmos
On the songs of the early Germans, in his Mispogon, 337–338 (tr. W. C. Wright, ii, 1913)
“

I have observed that even the barbarians across the Rhine sing savage songs composed in language not unlike the croaking of harsh-voiced birds, and that they delight in such songs. For I think it is always the case that inferior musicians, though they annoy their audiences, give very great pleasure to themselves.

— Julian (emperor)

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I have observed that even the barbarians across the Rhine sing savage songs composed in language not unlike the croaking of harsh-voiced birds, and that they delight in such songs. For I think it is always the case that inferior musicians, though they annoy their audiences, give very great pleasure to themselves." in the context of "On the songs of the early Germans, in his Mispogon, 337–338 (tr. W. C. Wright, ii, 1913)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Julian (emperor)" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

Tags

#Julian (emperor)#songs#harshvoiced#barbarians#themselves#musicians#audiences#observed#composed#language#croaking#inferior
Julian (emperor)

About Julian (emperor)

Flavius Claudius Julianus (c. 331 – 26 June 363) was a Hellenistic philosopher, military leader, Roman emperor, and satirist, often referred to as Julian the Apostate because of his rejection of formal Christian doctrines, and opposition to their spread, and sometimes as Julian II, to distinguish him from Didius Julianus. Sometimes now referred to as Julian the Philosopher, he was the last pagan Augustus of the Roman Empire.