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

DIRECT 13

the Jewish race in terms similar to those used later by the Christian

apologists, who claimed that all mankind was safe from divine wrath

only because of the presence of the Christians.^33 Philo must have con-r

tinued with the claim that the great rule of God was the first fact of na­

ture, and that, a second fact of nature, humanity was joined to God by

the Jews, who were the link between man and God because of their

mystic powers of vision, and hence were the "race of suppliants" who

alone could bring to men God's favor. The care of God for all men was

in a sense secondary and derivative, for the care for the Jews came first.

Philo is clearly making only a more philosophic approach to the thesis

of In Flaccum, the thesis that since God and the Jews have this peculiar

relationship the Jews are under his protection, and their abuse or mis­

treatment will bring upon the miscreants the terrible vengeance of the

God of the universe.

With no warning the next sentence^34 begins with the career of Gaius.

The perfect condition of the Empire effected by Gaius' predecessors, its

wealth, peace, and happiness, came to its highest expression, says Philo,

in the universal burst of joy at Gaius' accession. But the joy was short

lived. In his eighth month Gaius became ill, and not only were his sub­

jects distressed for his life, they began to be alarmed at a change in his

character which the illness seemed to have brought about. Still when he

began to improve men hailed the event as the recovery of the savior and

benefactor (OUT/IP Kal euepysTyic) who was to bring the salvation

(oujKjpia) of peace and prosperity to all men individually and collec­

tively.^35 But the recovery of Gaius was a curse rather than a blessing, for

now his real character became manifest. He not only continued to live

his new life of debauchery, but he became definitely malicious. First he

treacherously murdered the young co-emperor,^36 then turned upon
Macro, the man who had done most to get Tiberius to make Gaius his
successor.^37 Macro was killed, and afterwards Gaius' father-in-law, Si-
lanus,^38 both of them, according to Philo, because they gave him too
good advice, tried to keep him from excesses, and true to the ideal royal

character. To the advice itself we shall return. Faced with these mur­
ders, the public did their best to find excuses for Gaius, since they could
hardly believe they had been so deceived in one whom they had at first
made their idol;^39 but still they were becoming restless, especially the

33. See, for example, Justin Martyr, Apology, II, vii.
    34. Legat., 8. 35. Ibid., 19-22. 36. Ibid., 22-31.


34. Ibid., 32-61. 38. Ibid., 62-65. 39. Ibid., 66-73.