Antiquities Book 19, Chapter 7
Concerning Silas And On What Account It Was That King Agrippa Was Angry At Him. How Agrippa Began To Encompass Jerusalem With A Wall; And What Benefits He Bestowed On The Inhabitants Of Berytus.
1. Now Silas, the general of the king's horse, because he had been
faithful to him under all his misfortunes, and had never refused to be a
partaker with him in any of his dangers, but had oftentimes undergone
the most hazardous dangers for him, was full of assurance, and thought
he might expect a sort of equality with the king, on account of the
firmness of the friendship he had showed to him. Accordingly, he would
no where let the king sit as his superior, and took the like liberty in
speaking to him upon all occasions, till he became troublesome to the
king, when they were merry together, extolling himself beyond measure,
and oft putting the king in mind of the severity of fortune he had
undergone, that he might, by way of ostentation, demonstrate What zeal
he had showed in his service; and was continually harping upon this
string, what pains he had taken for him, and much enlarged still upon
that subject. The repetition of this so frequently seemed to reproach
the king, insomuch that he took this ungovernable liberty of talking
very ill at his hands. For the commemoration of times when men have been
under ignominy, is by no means agreeable to them; and he is a very silly
man who is perpetually relating to a person what kindness he had done
him. At last, therefore, Silas had so thoroughly provoked the king's
indignation, that he acted rather out of passion than good
consideration, and did not only turn Silas out of his place, as general
of his horse, but sent him in bonds into his own country. But the edge
of his anger wore off by length of time, and made room for more just
reasonings as to his judgment about this man; and he considered how many
labors he had undergone for his sake. So when Agrippa was solemnizing
his birth-day, and he gave festival entertainments to all his subjects,
he sent for Silas on the sudden to be his guest. But as he was a very
frank man, he thought he had now a just handle given him to be angry;
which he could not conceal from those that came for him, but said to
them, "What honor is this the king invites me to, which I conclude will
soon be over? For the king hath not let me keep those original marks of
the good-will I bore him, which I once had from him; but he hath
plundered me, and that unjustly also. Does he think that I can leave off
that liberty of speech, which, upon the consciousness of my deserts, I
shall use more loudly than before, and shall relate how many misfortunes
I have been delivered from; how many labors I have undergone for him,
whereby I procured him deliverance and respect; as a reward for which I
have borne the hardships of bonds and a dark prison? I shall never
forget this usage. Nay, perhaps, my very soul, when it is departed out
of the body, will not forget the glorious actions I did on his account."
This was the clamor he made, and he ordered the messengers to tell it to
the king. So he perceived that Silas was incurable in his folly, and
still suffered him to lie in prison.
2. As for the walls of Jerusalem, that were adjoining to the new city
[Bezetha], he repaired them at the expense of the public, and built them
wider in breadth, and higher in altitude; and he had made them too
strong for all human power to demolish, unless Marcus, the then
president of Syria, had by letter informed Claudius Cæsar of what he was
doing. And when Claudius had some suspicion of attempts for innovation,
he sent to Agrippa to leave off the building of those walls presently.
So he obeyed, as not thinking it proper to contradict Claudius.
3. Now this king was by nature very beneficent and liberal in his gifts,
and very ambitious to oblige people with such large donations; and he
made himself very illustrious by the many chargeable presents he made
them. He took delight in giving, and rejoiced in living with good
reputation. He was not at all like that Herod who reigned before him;
for that Herod was ill-natured, and severe in his punishments, and had
no mercy on them that he hated; and every one perceived that he was more
friendly to the Greeks than to the Jews; for he adorned foreign cities
with large presents in money; with building them baths and theatres
besides; nay, in some of those places he erected temples, and porticoes
in others; but he did not vouchsafe to raise one of the least edifices
in any Jewish city, or make them any donation that was worth mentioning.
But Agrippa's temper was mild, and equally liberal to all men. He was
humane to foreigners, and made them sensible of his liberality. He was
in like manner rather of a gentle and compassionate temper. Accordingly,
he loved to live continually at Jerusalem, and was exactly careful in
the observance of the laws of his country. He therefore kept himself
entirely pure; nor did any day pass over his head without its appointed
sacrifice.
4. However, there was a certain mall of the Jewish nation at Jerusalem,
who appeared to be very accurate in the knowledge of the law. His name
was Simon. This man got together an assembly, while the king was absent
at Cæsarea, and had the insolence to accuse him as not living holily,
and that he might justly be excluded out of the temple, since it
belonged only to native Jews. But the general of Agrippa's army informed
him that Simon had made such a speech to the people. So the king sent
for him; and as he was sitting in the theater, he bid him sit down by
him, and said to him with a low and gentle voice, "What is there done in
this place that is contrary to the law?" But he had nothing to say for
himself, but begged his pardon. So the king was more easily reconciled
to him than one could have imagined, as esteeming mildness a better
quality in a king than anger, and knowing that moderation is more
becoming in great men than passion. So he made Simon a small present,
and dismissed him.
5. Now as Agrippa was a great builder in many places, he paid a peculiar
regard to the people of Berytus; for he erected a theater for them,
superior to many others of that sort, both in Sumptuousness and
elegance, as also an amphitheater, built at vast expenses; and besides
these, he built them baths and porticoes, and spared for no costs in any
of his edifices, to render them both handsome and large. He also spent a
great deal upon their dedication, and exhibited shows upon them, and
brought thither musicians of all sorts, and such as made the most
delightful music of the greatest variety. He also showed his
magnificence upon the theater, in his great number of gladiators; and
there it was that he exhibited the several antagonists, in order to
please the spectators; no fewer indeed than seven hundred men to fight
with seven hundred other men 20 and allotted all the malefactors he had
for this exercise, that both the malefactors might receive their
punishment, and that this operation of war might be a recreation in
peace. And thus were these criminals all destroyed at once.
faithful to him under all his misfortunes, and had never refused to be a
partaker with him in any of his dangers, but had oftentimes undergone
the most hazardous dangers for him, was full of assurance, and thought
he might expect a sort of equality with the king, on account of the
firmness of the friendship he had showed to him. Accordingly, he would
no where let the king sit as his superior, and took the like liberty in
speaking to him upon all occasions, till he became troublesome to the
king, when they were merry together, extolling himself beyond measure,
and oft putting the king in mind of the severity of fortune he had
undergone, that he might, by way of ostentation, demonstrate What zeal
he had showed in his service; and was continually harping upon this
string, what pains he had taken for him, and much enlarged still upon
that subject. The repetition of this so frequently seemed to reproach
the king, insomuch that he took this ungovernable liberty of talking
very ill at his hands. For the commemoration of times when men have been
under ignominy, is by no means agreeable to them; and he is a very silly
man who is perpetually relating to a person what kindness he had done
him. At last, therefore, Silas had so thoroughly provoked the king's
indignation, that he acted rather out of passion than good
consideration, and did not only turn Silas out of his place, as general
of his horse, but sent him in bonds into his own country. But the edge
of his anger wore off by length of time, and made room for more just
reasonings as to his judgment about this man; and he considered how many
labors he had undergone for his sake. So when Agrippa was solemnizing
his birth-day, and he gave festival entertainments to all his subjects,
he sent for Silas on the sudden to be his guest. But as he was a very
frank man, he thought he had now a just handle given him to be angry;
which he could not conceal from those that came for him, but said to
them, "What honor is this the king invites me to, which I conclude will
soon be over? For the king hath not let me keep those original marks of
the good-will I bore him, which I once had from him; but he hath
plundered me, and that unjustly also. Does he think that I can leave off
that liberty of speech, which, upon the consciousness of my deserts, I
shall use more loudly than before, and shall relate how many misfortunes
I have been delivered from; how many labors I have undergone for him,
whereby I procured him deliverance and respect; as a reward for which I
have borne the hardships of bonds and a dark prison? I shall never
forget this usage. Nay, perhaps, my very soul, when it is departed out
of the body, will not forget the glorious actions I did on his account."
This was the clamor he made, and he ordered the messengers to tell it to
the king. So he perceived that Silas was incurable in his folly, and
still suffered him to lie in prison.
2. As for the walls of Jerusalem, that were adjoining to the new city
[Bezetha], he repaired them at the expense of the public, and built them
wider in breadth, and higher in altitude; and he had made them too
strong for all human power to demolish, unless Marcus, the then
president of Syria, had by letter informed Claudius Cæsar of what he was
doing. And when Claudius had some suspicion of attempts for innovation,
he sent to Agrippa to leave off the building of those walls presently.
So he obeyed, as not thinking it proper to contradict Claudius.
3. Now this king was by nature very beneficent and liberal in his gifts,
and very ambitious to oblige people with such large donations; and he
made himself very illustrious by the many chargeable presents he made
them. He took delight in giving, and rejoiced in living with good
reputation. He was not at all like that Herod who reigned before him;
for that Herod was ill-natured, and severe in his punishments, and had
no mercy on them that he hated; and every one perceived that he was more
friendly to the Greeks than to the Jews; for he adorned foreign cities
with large presents in money; with building them baths and theatres
besides; nay, in some of those places he erected temples, and porticoes
in others; but he did not vouchsafe to raise one of the least edifices
in any Jewish city, or make them any donation that was worth mentioning.
But Agrippa's temper was mild, and equally liberal to all men. He was
humane to foreigners, and made them sensible of his liberality. He was
in like manner rather of a gentle and compassionate temper. Accordingly,
he loved to live continually at Jerusalem, and was exactly careful in
the observance of the laws of his country. He therefore kept himself
entirely pure; nor did any day pass over his head without its appointed
sacrifice.
4. However, there was a certain mall of the Jewish nation at Jerusalem,
who appeared to be very accurate in the knowledge of the law. His name
was Simon. This man got together an assembly, while the king was absent
at Cæsarea, and had the insolence to accuse him as not living holily,
and that he might justly be excluded out of the temple, since it
belonged only to native Jews. But the general of Agrippa's army informed
him that Simon had made such a speech to the people. So the king sent
for him; and as he was sitting in the theater, he bid him sit down by
him, and said to him with a low and gentle voice, "What is there done in
this place that is contrary to the law?" But he had nothing to say for
himself, but begged his pardon. So the king was more easily reconciled
to him than one could have imagined, as esteeming mildness a better
quality in a king than anger, and knowing that moderation is more
becoming in great men than passion. So he made Simon a small present,
and dismissed him.
5. Now as Agrippa was a great builder in many places, he paid a peculiar
regard to the people of Berytus; for he erected a theater for them,
superior to many others of that sort, both in Sumptuousness and
elegance, as also an amphitheater, built at vast expenses; and besides
these, he built them baths and porticoes, and spared for no costs in any
of his edifices, to render them both handsome and large. He also spent a
great deal upon their dedication, and exhibited shows upon them, and
brought thither musicians of all sorts, and such as made the most
delightful music of the greatest variety. He also showed his
magnificence upon the theater, in his great number of gladiators; and
there it was that he exhibited the several antagonists, in order to
please the spectators; no fewer indeed than seven hundred men to fight
with seven hundred other men 20 and allotted all the malefactors he had
for this exercise, that both the malefactors might receive their
punishment, and that this operation of war might be a recreation in
peace. And thus were these criminals all destroyed at once.