Valentinian was a brutal soldier, but did have a soft spot deep down.  He had a no nonsense approach to religion.  His brother had a lot more trouble with religious dissension, particularly in Egypt.

Procopiuswho w as the cousin of Juian and the last person with any connection with the house of Constantine made a bid to take over the empire and very nearly succeeded.

Jovian's reign was promising but in the event was short lived.  But it did mark the final establishment of Orthodox Christianity.

Jovian comes from nowhere to ascend the throne of the Roman Empire, then proceeds to make the first territorial concessions in hte empire's history.  Julian is buried to widespread grief.

Julian the Apostate was the last pagan emperor of Rome.  He didn't directly persecute Christians, but he had the most effective response to them of any of the emperors.  Could he have turned the tide with a longer reign?

To everyone's surprise, Julian was killed in hand to hand fighting in Persia.

Julian invades the Persian Empire.  Nobody knows why, but it was probably motivated by his dislike of the Christians.

Like a conversation with an educated, intelligent and erudite friend who refers frequently to his equally clever friends.   It is an enjoyable experience and you learn a lot and feel better, and maybe a little cleverer.   In a random and unpredictable world, I can think of no greater recommendation.

The Byzantine empire was finally ended in 1453 some eleven hundred years since Constantine moved the capital from Rome. For most of that time it had looked weak, often catastrophically so.  It had been on its knees many times.  Somehow it always managed to come through against the odds.  Edward Luttwak's book goes a long way to explain how it managed it.  If you are managing a declining superpower, this is a must read book.