Caligula by Wilkinson Sam;

Author:Wilkinson, Sam; [SAM WILKINSON]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2011-07-21T16:00:00+00:00

The disturbance in Alexandria

Philo's In Flaccum has Flaccus, the prefect of Egypt, worried for his future on Gaius' accession because ‘he had been a devoted partisan of the actual [Tiberius Gemellus] rather than the adopted [grand] children [of Tiberius] . . . Or again as he had been one of those who had attacked Gaius' mother’ (In Flacc. 9, 10). He had also been friendly with Macro. Greek nationalists, namely Isidorus and Lampon, offered Flaccus protection from Gaius in exchange for his support for their actions: they wanted him to turn a blind eye to their bullying of the Jews of Alexandria. Flaccus agreed, unrest ensued in Alexandria, and scenes of carnage followed. Eventually Flaccus was arrested by Gaius and the violence ended. Here the Greeks obviously resented the Jewish residents of the city: Agrippa's visit as their king annoyed the Greeks, and Flaccus could not control the situation. Gaius is seen only as the saviour of the Jews, as he was the messenger of God's will.

The Legatio gives a completely different story. Because of the disruption in Alexandria, two embassies were sent to Gaius to ask for help by both the Jews under Philo and the Greeks under Apion and Isidorus. A summary of Gaius' reign is given towards the beginning of the Legatio which highlights Gaius' madness and tyrannical rule. The work does not give the resolution of the Alexandrian troubles. The reception of the Jewish embassy is depicted as a sham; Gaius mocked the Jews and claimed he was a god. Josephus simply speaks of a tumult in Alexandria leading to the Jewish embassy.

There was a clear Greek nationalism growing in Alexandria under demagogues like Isidorus: in short, the unrest of ad 38 would have happened regardless of emperor. It is, after all, too early in Gaius' reign to ascribe the cause of such civil unrest to him. Greek-Jewish antagonism was an age-old phenomenon at the time in all the cities where Jews and gentiles lived together. The events at Jamnia show it was not just Alexandria that saw urban unrest. Perhaps Flaccus’ fear of Gaius did lead him to find refuge in the anti-Jewish quarters of Alexandria, but the trouble was in no way down to Gaius. Moreover, Philo gives no account of the situation in the city at the time; there was a background of social and political problems between the Jews and Greeks of Alexandria.

Evidence points to the embassy to Gaius requesting participation in the Greek citizenship of Alexandria for the Jewish people of the city. Since Bell's publication of Claudius’ letter to the Alexandrians, most scholars believe that the Jews did not enjoy this citizenship and were requesting it at their embassy to Gaius. This would explain Claudius’ words to the Jews of Alexandria not to strive for any more rights than they already had.10 The unrest in Alexandria can therefore be viewed in the light of Jewish desire for more rights, and Greek resentment thereof. Philo keeps quiet on the subject to portray his people in a better light.

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