Bibliography
| Title: "Felix and Isopoliteia, Josephus and Tacitus" Pages: 265-286 Type: Generic Year: 1993 Abstract: "The Roman governor of Judaea in the fifties of the first century is frequently portrayed as corrupt and cruel, a characterization which derives directly from Tacitus (Historiae 5:9,3; Annales 12.54). Josephus, who devotes much more space to Felix, and who grew up in Judaea during his term of office, gives a much more balanced picture. In fact, only two isolated passages condemn Felix: Antiquities 20:162-163, 182-183. Since both passages, unparalleled in the otherwise detailed parallel in Josephus' earlier Jewish War, show special knowledge of events in Rome, it is likely that they reflect use of a Roman source. But such a source; as that used by Tacitus (with which it may be identical), was more interested in condemning upstart Greek and eastern freedmen than in the true nature of Felix' s rule in Judaea. The conclusion that Ant. 20:182-183 derives from a Roman source also has implications concerning Jewish civil status in the Greek cities of the Roman world. It has been suggested that such Jewish communities were organized as politeumata and that those corporations enjoyed, or strove to enjoy, a status equal to that city itself - a status termed isopoliteia. However, there is little evidence for politeumata and, apart from Ant. 20:173,183, the term isopoliteia never appears in ancient texts concerning the Jews. If it derives there from Josephus' Roman source, then it is to be interpreted as used by Romans - to refer to individual citizenship, not to the status of corporations. It appears that Ant. 20:173-178, in contrast, was based on another source, more congenial to Felix and probably reflecting his own point of view; so its version of the account, according to which the Jews sought primacy in Caesarea and not equality, is preferable." Keywords: Jewish History: Roman Era |