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abide by them, since my dearest friends, kings Agrippa and Herod, have asked this of me." He also sent Agrippa off to his kingdom, which had become more splendid. And he, coming to Jerusalem, offered thank-offerings, and hung up the golden chain which had been given to him by Gaius over the treasury, as a sign of God's power and of the change in affairs, and that great things sometimes fall and the lowly are exalted. So, after sacrificing lavishly, he removed Theophilus, the son of Annas, from the high priesthood, and bestowed the honor on Simon, son of Boethus, who was surnamed Cantheras. Simon had two brothers, and his father was Boethus, whose daughter King Herod had married, as has been recorded. And he rewarded the people of Jerusalem for their goodwill towards him, by remitting to them the tax upon every house. And he appointed Silas commander of all his troops, a man who had shared in many of his hardships. However, some reckless and insolent young men of Dora brought a statue of Caesar into the synagogue of the Jews and set it up. This disturbed Agrippa; and he immediately went to Publius Petronius, the governor of Syria, and accused the men of Dora. And he, sending a centurion, 2.32 ordered that those who had committed the audacious act be brought to him, and wrote to the rulers of Dora to point out the guilty parties to the centurion, unless they wished to seem collaborators in the deed. Agrippa, however, having deprived Simon Cantheras of the priesthood, brought Jonathan, the son of Ananus, to it again. But he declined it, saying he was content to have held the high priesthood once, and thought his brother Matthias should be promoted to it as one worthy of the honor. So, being persuaded, the king bestowed the high priesthood on Matthias. But Silas, Agrippa's commander of cavalry, relying on the dangers he had undergone for him, made use of unseasonable frankness, and was burdensome, bringing to his memory the grim aspects of fortune and boasting of his zeal and faithfulness at that time. Agrippa was therefore displeased by his unrestrained frankness. And when Silas would not give way, the king was provoked to anger, and not only removed him from his command of the cavalry, but also imprisoned him. But in time his anger abated, and considering how many hardships he had endured for him, on the day he was celebrating his own birthday he called Silas to feast with him. But he would not obey, saying, "To what honor does the king recall me, that will so soon be lost? Or does he think I have ceased my frankness? Now I will shout all the more about the dangers from which I rescued him, how many hardships I bore procuring safety and honor for him; for which my reward is bonds and a dark prison, which I shall never forget." But the king, learning this, and seeing that he was incurably disposed, left him in prison again. Now this king was as beneficent in his gifts as no less than Herod his grandfather; however, while that one displayed his munificence to 2.33 foreigners, but not to the Jews, this one was beneficent to all alike and mild in his manner. So he had a pleasant and constant way of life in Jerusalem, and he purely observed the ancestral customs. And there was a certain Simon in Jerusalem who was thought to be strict in the laws; this man, having gathered a crowd, dared to speak against the king when he had gone away to Caesarea. This did not escape Agrippa's notice. So he sends for Simon and says, "Tell me what of the things being done is against the law?" But he, having nothing to say, begged to receive pardon. And the king, contrary to expectation, was reconciled to him, and sent him away after giving him a gift. And having taken the high priesthood from Matthias, he gave it to Elionaeus, the son of Cithaerus. Having reigned, therefore, for three years over all of Judea, he held spectacles in the city of Caesarea, which was formerly called Strato's Tower. And on the second day of the spectacles, having put on a garment made entirely of silver, he entered the theater at the beginning of the day. And when the first rays of the sun rose, the silver, being illuminated, shone wonderfully, flashing something fearful to those who gazed upon him. And immediately the flatterers

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ἐμμένουσι, ταῦτά με αἰτησαμένων τῶν βασιλέων ̓Αγρίππου καὶ ̔Ηρώδου τῶν φιλτάτων μοι." ἐξέπεμψε δὲ καὶ ̓Αγρίππαν ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ, λαμπροτέραν γεγενημένην. κἀκεῖνος ἐλθὼν εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα χαριστήρια εθυσε, καὶ τὴν χρυσῆν αλυσιν τὴν ὑπὸ Γαΐου δοθεῖσαν αὐτῷ ὑπὲρ τὸ γαζοφυλάκιον ἀπῃώρησε, δεῖγμα τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δυναστείας καὶ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων μεταβολῆς, καὶ οτι καὶ τὰ μεγάλα πίπτει ποτὲ καὶ ὑψοῦται τὰ ταπεινά. θύσας ουν πολυτελῶς, Θεόφιλον μὲν τὸν Αννα τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης μεθίστησι, τῷ δὲ Βοηθοῦ Σίμωνι, ῳ Κανθηρᾶς ἡ ἐπίκλησις, ἀπένειμε τὴν τιμήν. δύο δ' ησαν τῷ Σίμωνι ἀδελφοί, καὶ πατὴρ ὁ Βοηθός, ου τῇ θυγατρὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ̔Ηρώδης συνῴκησεν, ὡς ἱστόρηται. τοὺς δ' ̔Ιεροσολυμίτας τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας ἠμείψατο, ἀφεὶς αὐτοῖς τὰ ὑπὲρ ἑκάστης οἰκίας. ιππαρχον δὲ παντὸς τοῦ στρατεύματος τὸν Σίλαν ἀπέδειξεν, ανδρα πόνων αὐτῷ συμμετασχόντα πολλῶν. Νεανίσκοι μέντοι ∆ωρῖται παράβολοι καὶ θρασεῖς Καίσαρος ἀνδριάντα εἰς τὴν τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων συναγωγὴν κομίσαντες εστησαν. τοῦτο τὸν ̓Αγρίππαν ἐτάραξε· καὶ αὐτίκα πρὸς τὸν τῆς Συρίας ἡγεμονεύοντα Πούπλιον Πετρώνιον παραγίνεται καὶ κατηγορεῖ τῶν ∆ωριτῶν. ὁ δ' ἑκατόνταρχον στείλας, τοὺς μὲν τὸ τόλμημα πράξαντας ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἀχθῆναι προσ2.32 έταξε, τοῖς δὲ τῶν ∆ωριτῶν αρχουσιν ἐπιδεῖξαι τῷ ἑκατοντάρχῳ τοὺς αἰτίους ἐπέστειλεν, εἰ μὴ βούλοιντο δοκεῖν συνεργάται τῆς πράξεως. ̓Αγρίππας δὲ ἀφελόμενος τὴν ἱερωσύνην τὸν Κανθηρᾶν Σίμωνα, ̓Ιωνάθην αυθις ἐπ' αὐτὴν ηγε τὸν ̓Ανανίου. ὁ δὲ παρῃτεῖτο, ἀρκεῖσθαι λέγων απαξ τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην λαχών, τὸν δὲ ἀδελφὸν Ματθίαν πρὸς ταύτην ἠξίου προάγεσθαι ὡς αξιον τῆς τιμῆς. πεισθεὶς ουν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Ματθίᾳ τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην ἀπένειμε. Σίλας δὲ ὁ ̓Αγρίππου ιππαρχος, πεποιθὼς οις ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ κεκινδύνευκεν, ἀκαίρου παρρησίας ἀντεποιεῖτο, καὶ ην φορτικός, τὰ στυγνὰ τῆς τύχης εἰς μνήμην αγων αὐτῷ καὶ ἑαυτὸν σεμνύνων ἐκ τῆς τότε σπουδῆς τε καὶ πίστεως. ἀηδῶς ουν πρὸς τὴν ἀταμίευτον αὐτοῦ παρρησίαν ὁ ̓Αγρίππας διέκειτο. τοῦ δὲ Σίλα μὴ ἐνδιδόντος εἰς ὀργὴν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀνηρέθιστο, καὶ οὐ μόνον τῆς ἱππαρχίας αὐτὸν μετέστησεν, ἀλλὰ μέντοι καὶ δέδεκε. χρόνῳ δὲ τὸν θυμὸν ἀμβλυνθείς, καὶ λογισάμενος οσους ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου ἀνέτλη πόνους, ἡμέραν ἑορτάζων ἑαυτοῦ γενέθλιον ἐκάλει τὸν Σίλαν αὐτῷ συνεστιαθησόμενον. ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἐπείθετο "ἐπὶ τίνα" λέγων "ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀνακαλεῖ με τιμὴν τὴν οσον ηδη ἀπολουμένην; η πεπαῦσθαί με νομίζει τῆς παρρησίας; νῦν βοήσομαι μᾶλλον οσων αὐτὸν ἐξερρυσάμην δεινῶν, οσους ηνεγκα πόνους ἐκείνῳ πορίζων σωτηρίαν καὶ τιμήν· ων γέρας μοι δεσμὰ καὶ σκότιος εἱρκτή, ων ουποτε λήσομαι." ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ταῦτα μαθών, καὶ ἀνιάτως συνιδὼν διακείμενον, αυθις ειασεν ἐν φρουρᾷ. Ην δὲ εὐεργετικὸς ουτος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν δωρεαῖς οὐδὲν ηττον ̔Ηρώδου τοῦ πάππου· ἐκείνου μέντοι εἰς 2.33 ἀλλοφύλους τὸ φιλότιμον ἐπιδεικνυμένου, οὐ μὴν καὶ εἰς τοὺς ̓Ιουδαίους, ουτος πρὸς πάντας ὁμοίως ην εὐεργετικὸς καὶ τὸν τρόπον πραΰς. ἡδεῖα γοῦν αὐτῷ δίαιτα συνεχὴς ἐν τοῖς ̔Ιεροσολύμοις ην, καὶ τὰ πάτρια καθαρῶς ἐτήρει. καὶ δή τις Σίμων ην ἐν ̔Ιεροσολύμοις ἀκριβὴς δοκῶν τὰ νόμιμα· ουτος πλῆθος ἀθροίσας ἐτόλμησε τοῦ βασιλέως κατειπεῖν ἀποδημήσαντος εἰς Καισάρειαν. τοῦτο τὸν ̓Αγρίππαν οὐκ ελαθε. μεταπέμπεται ουν τὸν Σίμωνα καί φησιν "εἰπέ μοι τί τῶν γινομένων ἐστὶ παράνομον;" ὁ δὲ μὴ εχων εἰπεῖν ἐδεῖτο συγγνώμης τυχεῖν. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς παρὰ προσδοκίαν αὐτῷ διηλλάττετο, καὶ ἐξέπεμψε δωρησάμενος. τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην δὲ Ματθίαν ἀφελόμενος ̓Ελιωναίῳ τῷ τοῦ Κιθαίρου παιδὶ παρέσχεν αὐτήν. Βασιλεύσας ουν ἐπὶ τρεῖς ἐνιαυτοὺς τῆς ολης ̓Ιουδαίας, εἰς πόλιν Καισάρειαν, η πρότερον Στράτωνος ἐκαλεῖτο πύργος, θεωρίας ἐτέλει. δευτέρᾳ δὲ τῶν θεωριῶν ἡμέρᾳ στολὴν ἐνδὺς ἐξ ἀργύρου πεποιημένην παρῆλθεν εἰς τὸ θέατρον ἀρχομένης ἡμέρας. καὶ ταῖς πρώταις τῶν ἡλιακῶν ἀκτίνων ἐπιτολαῖς ὁ αργυρος καταυγασθεὶς θαυμασίως ἀπέστιλβε, μαρμαίρων τι φοβερὸν τοῖς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀτενίζουσιν. εὐθύς τε οἱ κόλακες