Antonius  Felix  [ruled 52 - ca. 60 CE]

A freed slave of Marc Antony's daughter Antonia, who rose to become the 10th Roman prefect of Judea.  With his brother Pallas, Felix became a favorite of the emperor Claudius. Claudius made him governor of most of the former kingdom of Agrippa I [Judea, Samaria & Galilee], a position bolstered by his marriage to  Agrippa's daughter, Drusilla.* Faced with having to maintain Rome's dominance, Felix showed little sympathy for Jews of any rank. On the one hand, he conducted a sweeping campaign against bandits; on the other, he bribed bandits to murder the high priest who was responsible for his appointment [Jonathan bar Hanan]. He not only slaughtered the followers of a self-proclaimed prophet known as "the Egyptian"--- Acts (21:27-38) dates the apostle Paul's arrest soon after this event --- he even arrested priests & sent them in chains to Rome. When Nero relieved Felix of his command, leading Jews charged Felix with misconduct. But he escaped imperial discipline since his brother, Pallas, was at the height of his power & influence. He perished in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius (79 CE).

References: Josephus, Antiquities 20.137, 142-143, 161-181
                   _____, War
2.247, 252-253, 260, 263, 270;
                  Tacitus, Histories 5.9;* Annals 12.54
                  Suetonius, Life of Claudius 28.
                  Acts 23:24-26; 24:2, 22-27; 25:14.

*Tacitus mistakenly identifies Felix's wife, Drusilla, as granddaughter of Antony & Cleopatra.

Other resources on line:

Judean bronze prutah minted by Felix in 54 CE.  The Greek inscription reads (clockwise from top): [T.] Klaudios Kai[sar Germ.] -- "of Tiberius Claudius Germanicus"].  The date stamp (between the crossed palms) indicates the 14th year of Claudius' reign, which was also the year of his death. The other side is ominously inscribed with the name of Claudius' last wife, Julia Agrippina, who poisoned him. 

Perspective on the World of Jesus

Copyright © 1999-2023 by Mahlon H. Smith
All rights reserved.

an American Theological Library Association Selected Religion Website
OCLC catalog no.: 62046512