The Politics of Philo Judaeus: Practice and Theory, with a General Bibliography of Philo

104 PHILO'S POLITICS

83. Legat., 43 -5L

thus with yourself: "If such people, in matters which bring not only no

profit to human life, but nothing beyond delight and pleasure at the spec­

tacle, take all this trouble in order to be praised and admired and to win re­

wards, honors, crowns, and public acclaim, what ought he do who is the

expert in the highest and greatest art of all?" And rulership (y)Y^M0V^) is the

greatest and best art of all, for the result of it is that every good and deep-

soiled land, whether level or hilly, is cultivated, and every sea is navigated

without danger by the laden ships of merchandise as they execute the ex­

change which countries carry on in those things that will be especially bene­

ficial, for they desire mutual relations (KOIVGJVUZ), and take what they them­

selves need in exchange for what they have in excess. Envy never yet ruled

the whole inhabited world, nor yet any of its great divisions, as all of Europe

or Asia, but like a venomous serpent Envy hides in a hole, going into such

restricted places as a single individual or house, or if excessively inflated, into

a single city. But it never attacks the larger circle of a whole nation or coun­

try, especially since your truly august family began its universal rule. For

that family has sought out from our midst whatever is apt to become injuri­

ous, and has driven it into exile to the extremities, even to the last recess of

Tartarus; at the same time, those profitable and beneficial things which were

in a sense driven fugitive, the family has brought back from the ends of the

earth and sea to restore them to our inhabited world. All these things are

now entrusted to your single hand to govern. So since you have been escorted

by Nature to the stern of the most exalted ship, and have had the helm put

into your hand, you must guide the common ship of mankind safely (OUT/)-

picjc) and take your joy and pleasure in nothing more than in benefiting

(£U£pY£Tdv) your subjects. There are various contributions which the dif­

ferent citizens are compelled to bring into the cities; but no contribution is

more fitting a ruler than to bring in good counsels concerning his subjects, to

carry out what they properly desire, to bring out good things lavishly with a

liberal hand and mind, saving only those things which ought to be held back

out of prudence for unknown contingencies for the future.^83

"The unhappy man," Philo continues, "kept dinning such remarks

into his ears in the hope of improving Gaius." If Philo is right, and
Macro did thus belabor Gaius, we cannot blame Gaius too severely for

resorting to murder to be rid of him. Yet whether Macro ever made
such a speech or not, it is highly valuable to us. If it was only idealistic

rhetoric for Philo to indulge in such speculation, it was, or would have
been, quite as idealistic and rhetorical for Macro, as the event bitterly