Julian's "Misopogon" (The Beard Hater) is a case of the satirist directing his sharp wit at himself: self-mockery employed to undercut the taunts of critics. When the citizens of Antioch jeered at the emperor's "philosophical" beard, he responded with a satire on his own appearance and austere life style. A work of ironic self-disparagement, "Misopogon" reflects strikingly on the emperor's personality. Julian's conception of the ideal ruler emerges through the satire of "The Caesars." He begins with a reference to the Saturnalia, and his treatment of the gods here is appropriate to that festival. The piece contains some echoes of Lucian's satires--but Julian is nowhere as light-hearted as Lucian.