CHAP. LVI. Caius Plinius Cæcilius Secundus. PLINY, who was nephew of Caius Plinius Secundus, the historian, was born A. U. C. 815, in the ninth year of Nero, and in the 62d of the Christian æra, at Novocomo, on the borders of the Lake of Como, called Larius by Virgil. He gave early proofs of his talents, and so distinguished himself by his noble exertions as an orator and statesman *, that he was marked for destruction in the tablets of Domitian, but happily lived to celebrate the virtues of Trajan in a panegyric, which is still extant, and to display in his own character those amiable and munificent qualities, and those benevolent affections in social and domestic Pliny, when appointed to preside over the treasury of Saturn, renounced his pleadings "quibus alioqui nunquam eram promiscué functus." Lib. i. Epist. 20. CHAP. LV. Caius Suetonius Tranquillus. SUETONIUS seems to have been born in the reign of Vespasian, who ascended the Imperial throne A. D. 70; he filled the confidential office of Secretary to Adrian, but was dismissed, with others, for a failure in respect to the Empress Sabina. Suetonius composed many works, enumerated by Suidas, and cited by different authors, which are now lost, excepting the lives of the twelve Cæsars; for the lives of Terence, Horace, Juvenal, Persius, and Lucan, sometimes attributed to him, are probably not genuine. It has been remarked with respect to the work which we possess, that the historian described the lives of the Emperors with as much freedom as they lived *. *Spartian in Adrian, c. xi. Suetonius enters into biographical details of the characters of the Emperors, and his history affords most deplorable proofs of their corruption. Many particulars may be collected from it, which tend to illustrate the subject of the present work, and which relate to the concerns of Jews and Christians. The historian represents Augustus to have commended his grandson Caius, because, when passing by Judea, he had not offered his prayers at Jerusalem *. up He relates that Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome, on account of frequent tumults excited by Chrestus. Doubts have been entertained whether by Chrestus the historian meant Jesus Christ. It is probable that under the word Jews, the Christians were included; and whether by Christ we understand our Saviour to have been intended, as the original founder of the Christian institutions, or only some popular leader of temporary tumults, the account of Suetonius may be thought to confirm the relation in the Acts of the Apostles, with respect to Aquila and Priscilla, who are incidentally stated by the Evangelist to have * August. c. 93. + Claudius, cap. 25. page 25. Edit. Oudendorp. left Rome, because Claudius had commanded all Jews to quit that city *. It is well known that the disputes between the Jews and Christians, which prevailed in the first ages, led to tumultuary meetings and disturbances, which might have given ground for the interference of the Roman govern ment. This account of Suetonius is the more important, as it is cursorily mentioned, and records a command, which, (not having been decreed by the Senate,) is not noticed by Tacitus, Josephus, or Dion Cassius. Claudius is known to have entertained an aversion to the Jews, though, from regard to Agrippa, he passed some few edicts in their favour, upon his first accession to the throne +. It is possible, however, that he was in some degree influenced to banish them by an apprehension of famine at Rome; and that the expulsion took place A.D. 51, in the 12th year of his reign, three years later than it is placed by Orosius. Suetonius confirms the account of Tacitus, that "an ancient and constant opinion had + Acts xviii. 12, 13. *Acts xviii. 2. 66 prevailed, through all the East, of its being decreed by the fates that those who "at that time should go forth from Judæa, "should possess the empire. That the event proved that this prediction respected the "Roman emperor, though the Jews apply 66 ing this to themselves, were excited to re"bellion, having slain their governor, and put to flight also the proconsul of Syria, (then bringing reinforcements) and cap"tured a Roman eagle *." The prophecy of Micah, which authorized the expectation of a ruler, spoke of him by a distinction. which should have excluded its application to any earthly sovereign, since it declared that his "goings forth have been from old, "from everlasting ." Suetonius further informs us that "Vespasian upon consulting in Judæa the oracle "of the God of Carmel, was assured by its promises, that what he then thought of, "and revolved in his mind, however great "it might be, should come to pass." Tacitus, from whom probably Suetonius drew his account, further relates, that Vespasian * Titus Flavius Vespesian, c. 4. + Micah. v. 2. |