The Provinces of the Roman Empire, from Caesar to Diocletian. v. 2Mommsen, Theodor
History
The Provinces of the Roman Empire, from Caesar to Diocletian. v. 2
Mommsen, Theodor
Roman provinces -- Administration; Rome -- History -- Empire, 30 B.C.-476 A.D.
In the main those arrangements were the inevitable consequences of the
abolition of the principality, and when the Jews had obtained this
request of theirs, they in fact obtained those arrangements along with
it. Certainly it was the design of the government to avoid, as far
as possible, harshness and abruptness in carrying them out. Publius
Sulpicius Quirinius to whom, as governor of Syria the erection of the
new province was entrusted, was a magistrate of repute, and quite
familiar with the affairs of the East, and the several reports confirm
by what they say or by their silence the fact that the difficulties
of the state of things were known and taken into account. The local
coining of petty moneys, as formerly practised by the kings, now took
place in the name of the Roman ruler; but on account of the Jewish
abhorrence of images the head of the emperor was not even placed on the
coins. Setting foot within the interior of the temple continued to be
forbidden in the case of every non-Jew under penalty of death.[171]
However averse was the attitude of Augustus personally towards the
Oriental worships (p. 172), he did not disdain here any more than in
Egypt to connect them in their home with the imperial government;
magnificent presents of Augustus, of Livia, and of other members of the
imperial house adorned the sanctuary of the Jews, and according to an
endowment by the emperor the smoke of the sacrifice of a bullock and
two lambs rose daily there to the “Supreme God.” The Roman soldiers
were directed, when they were on service at Jerusalem, to leave the
standards with the effigies of the emperor at Caesarea, and, when a
governor under Tiberius omitted to do so, the government ultimately
yielded to the urgent entreaties of the pious and left matters on
the old footing. Indeed, when the Roman troops were to march through
Jerusalem on an expedition against the Arabians, they obtained another
route for the march in consequence of the scruples entertained by the
priests against the effigies on the standards. When that same governor
dedicated to the emperor at the royal castle in Jerusalem shields
without imagery, and the pious took offence at it, Tiberius commanded
the same to be taken away, and to be hung up in the temple of Augustus
at Caesarea. The festival dress of the high priest, which was kept in
Roman custody at the castle and hence had to be purified from such
profanation for seven days before it was put on, was delivered up to
the faithful upon their complaint; and the commandant of the castle
was directed to give himself no further concern about it. Certainly
it could not be asked of the multitude that it should feel the
consequences of the incorporation less heavily, because it had itself
brought them about. Nor is it to be maintained that the annexation of
the land passed off without oppression for the inhabitants, and that
they had no ground to complain; such arrangements have never been
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