CAIUS CALIGULA, Emperor of Rome, and Successor to Tiberius. He took upon him the Government of the Empire in the year of J. C. 37, and reigned three years, nine months and twenty eight days. We do not find in the History of the Church, that he did any thing against the Christians. He undertook indeed to procure himself to be adored, and this design he easily accomplished among the Heathens. But having commanded Petronius Governor of Syria to place his Statue in the Temple of Jerusalem, the Jews so vigorously opposed him in the execution of these orders, that he, fearing a Sedition might ensue, and a general rebellion, wrote to Caïus1, informing him, that the Jews could no way be persuaded to receive his Statue, and pay divine honours to it; for by this means he would have exposed himself to certain death, and drawn the utmost calamities upon the Jews; but that hitherto he had had no opportunity to obey his orders, because the Artificers, who were imployed about the Statue, required more time to finish it with all possible perfection, and to make it, if they could, a master-piece of Art. He added, that as yet he had not ventured to press the Jews in this particular, by reason of the season; because if the lands should not be sown, the whole country would be barren and produce nothing, and so the ordinary taxes could not be raised from them; and that want and famine would create an infinite number of thieves.
Caius received Petronius’s Letters, and pretended not to disapprove the reasons of his delay. In a Letter which he directed to be written to him, he commended his prudence; but charged him to consecrate his Statue without farther loss of time. Nevertheless they, who were acquainted with him, and had observed his air, while he was reading these Letters, made no question but that the ruin of Petronius was resolved on.
In the mean while Agrippa returning from Judæa to Rome, without knowing any thing of what had happened, or of Petronius’s Letters, came as usual to make his court to Caius. He found this Prince in great disorder, and not being able to divine the cause of his indignation, he was very much confounded, while he looked on Caius, and saw his Eyes fixed upon him. Hereupon the Emperor seeing him in this perplexity, said to him, Your Jews, a people indeed much to be admired, who alone of all mankind will not allow Caius to be a God, seem to run voluntarily upon their own destruction, by refusing, as they do, to obey me. I commanded the Statue of Jupiter to be placed in their Temple, and they under pretence of begging pardon, and forbearance, have every where rebel’d against me.
Agrippa, when he heard those words fainted away, and was carried home, where he continued till the evening of the next day without motion, or the knowledge of any thing. At that time he began to open his eyes a little, and look upon those who were about him; then relapsed into the same drowzy state. Upon the third day, his understanding was entirely recovered, and he wrote a long letter to the Emperor, entreating him to forgive the Jews, and that he would not compel them to receive his Statue into their Temple. Caius was moved with Agrippa’s reasons, who invited him to an entertainment at his house in Rome, where he treated him with all the magnificence he could devise. Caius was very well satisfied with his generosity, and in the warmth of his wine told him, that he was determined to make him happy, and heap abundance of favours on him. He afterwards press’d him to tell him, wherein he could most oblige him. Agrippa answered, that the only favour which he asked of him, was, that he would think no more of setting up his Statue in the Temple of Jerusalem. The Emperor immediately granted it, and in the Letter sent by his order to Petronius, commanded him to let his Statue remain in the Temple, if it were already placed there; if it were not, to pursue this matter no farther, adding withal, that he had changed his mind in consideration of Agrippa.
But as if he had repented of the favour which he had so lately shewn the Jews, instead of the Statue, which had been begun at Sidon, he appointed another to be made at Rome, of copper gilt, extremely large, with a design to have it carried privately to Egypt, when he went thither, as he proposed to do, in the beginning of the year following; and so have it placed without noise in the Temple of Jerusalem, before the Jews had any notice of it. He proceeded so far as to send a Letter to Petronius, wherein he told him, that since he had shewn less regard to his commands, than to the presents, which he had received from the Jews, he required him to be himself his own judge, and to treat himself in such a manner, as that man deserved, who had disobeyed his Prince. This was in effect commanding him to kill himself. But it pleased God that this Letter was not delivered to Petronius, till after the death of Caïus.
The Jews of Alexandria at the same time suffered strange persecutions from the Heathens of that City, who being supported by Flaccus their Governor, lost no opportunity of using them ill. Philo the Jew was sent with some other Deputies to the Emperor2, to demand justice against the inhabitants of Alexandria. They presented a Memorial to him, which contained a short account of their sufferings.
Caïum. Caïus at first received them very civilly, and directed his Officers to acquaint them, that he would himself hear them, as soon as he had leisure. All the world believed, upon this favourable reception, that they would gain their cause. But Philo, whom age and experience had made more diffident than the rest, was apprehensive, that this Prince had already been engaged by the Alexandrians, and that these fair appearances would at last terminate in the loss of their cause.
At length Philo had his audience near the City in the pleasure-houses which were called Mecænas’s. Caius ordered all the chambers of these palaces to be opened, that he might see them one after another, and while he was thus imployed he sent for the Jews. Upon his first accosting them, he said with a reproachful smile, Are you then those enemies of the Gods, who refuse to acknowledge me as a Deity, tho’ all other people own me as such; and who choose rather to adore another, whom you cannot so much as name? At the same time lifting up his hands to Heaven, he spoke so blasphemously, that Philo, who relates this whole story, did not dare to mention what he said. Hereupon one Isidorus addressing himself to the Emperor told him, that he would still have a greater detestation for this people, if he knew the aversion which they had to him; for they, said he, are the only people, who have not sacrificed for your health, which all besides have done. At these words, the Jews all cried out together, that this was meer slander, that they had three times offered the most solemn Sacrifices, which their Religion prescribed to them for his prosperity. Grant it, said Caius, but you have sacrificed to another; and what honour have I received, since you did not sacrifice to me?
In the mean time Caius run over his apartments, and gave directions for the particular alterations, which he intended to have made in them. After which he returned to the Jews, and very gravely asked them, why they did not eat swine’s flesh? The Jews represented to him, that every Nation had its peculiar Laws and Customs, and that there were some things, which their adversaries did not eat of. Whereupon one observing that there were many, who would not eat lamb’s flesh; they are in the right, said Caius smiling, for there is no taste in it. After this, he asked them, upon what grounds they pretended to be free of Alexandria? They began to lay before him their right to this privilege; and without waiting till they had done, he broke off the discourse, and ran away into a large Hall, round which he walked. As he came out of it, he asked the Jews with an air of more Moderation, if they had any thing further to say to him? and as they began to speak to him, he left them again, and went into another Hall, where several Pictures had been placed by his Orders. Some time after he dismissed them, saying, these People do not seem to me to be so wicked, as they are foolish and unfortunate, in not believing me to be a God. How he determined the matter of Complaint, we do not know; but we learn from Philo and Josephus, that in his Reign, the Jews of Alexandria were continually oppressed some way or other, and exposed to the Violence of their Enemies.
We do not relate here the particulars of Caius’s Life; it is sufficient for us to take notice of his Actions, so far as they had any respect to the Jewish Nation; which is all that we are concerned about in this Work. This Prince was killed in a tragical manner by Chæreas, one of his Guards, as he was coming out of the Theatre, in the year of Jesus Christ 41, and the fourth of his Reign. He was succeeded by the Emperor Claudius.
Caius enriched King Agrippa, and gave him the Kingdom of Judæa: When this Prince returned to Judæa, his Uncle Herod Antipas, who was Tetrarch of Galilee, envying his good Fortune, and solicited by his Wife Herodias, believed that if he went to Rome, he too should obtain from Caius the Title of King. He therefore undertook this Journey. But Agrippa, who apprehended his succeeding, sent after he was gone, and accused him to the Emperor of carrying on a Correspondence with the King of Parthia against the Romans, and of having in his Arsenals wherewithal to arm seventy thousand Men3. When Herod came to Italy, he went directly to Baiæ, where Caius then was: And while he was there, Fortunatus, once a Slave belonging to Agrippa, but made free by him, arrived there likewise, and presented Letters from his Master to the Emperor. Caius immediately read them; and when he had done, asked Herod if it were true, that he had so large a quantity of Arms in his keeping. Herod could not deny it: Whereupon the Emperor, without giving him any opportunity to justify himself, instead of conferring the Title of King upon him, deprived him of his Tetrarchy, and all his Wealth, and banished him for his whole Life to Lions. Upon Information, that Herodias was Agrippa’s Sister, he was inclined, for her Brother’s sake, to pardon her: But she chose rather to follow her Husband into his Exile, since she had engaged him in this Misfortune. Thus God revenged the Death of John the Baptist, who had been executed at the Sollicitation of Herodias, and by the Command of Herod.
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