Felix, Antonius
Felix, Antonius
FELIX, ANTONIUS.Procurator of Juda (Act 23:24 ff.); according to Josephus, he had been sent to succeed Cumanus in a.d. 52; but this contradicts Tacitus, who makes Cumanus governor of Galilee and Felix of Samaria simultaneously; and this suits Act 24:10 (many years). Both historians give 52 as the year of Cumanus disgrace, so that we may probably take that as the date of Felix accession to office in Juda. Felix was brother of Pallas, Claudius powerful freedman, whose influence continued him in office under Nero, and on his disgrace (due to a riot at Csarea) procured him his life. He is described by Tacitus as a very bad and cruel governor. He was somewhat touched by St. Pauls preaching (Act 24:25 f.), but kept him in prison, first in hope of a bribe,one of many details showing that St. Paul was a prisoner of social importance,and, finally, to please the Jews. He is called most excellent (Act 23:26, Act 24:3; cf. Act 26:25, Luk 1:3), a title given him as governor, but more properly confined to those of equestrian rank. He married thrice, each time to a person of royal birth; see Drusilla.
A. I. Maclean.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Felix, Antonius
feliks, an-toni-us (, Phelix, from Latin felix, happy): A Roman procurator of Judea, appointed in succession to Cumanus by the emperor Claudius. The event which led to the introduction of Felix into the narrative of Acts was the riot at Jerusalem (Act 21:27). There Paul, being attacked at the instigation of the Asiatic Jews for alleged false teaching and profanation of the temple, was rescued with difficulty by Lysias the chief captain. But Lysias, finding that Paul was a Roman citizen, and that therefore the secret plots against the life of his captive might entail serious consequences upon himself, and finding also that Paul was charged on religious rather than on political grounds, sent him on to Felix at Caesarea for trial (Acts 21:31 through 23:34). On his arrival, Paul was presented to Felix and was then detained for five days in the judgment hall of Herod, till his accusers should also reach Caesarea (Act 23:33-35). The trial was begun, but after hearing the evidence of Tertullus (see TERTULLUS) and the speech of Paul in his own defense, Felix deferred judgment (Acts 24:1-22). The excuse he gave for delay was the non-appearance of Lysias, but his real reason was in order to obtain bribes for the release of Paul. He therefore treated his prisoner at first with leniency, and pretended along with Drusilla to take interest in his teaching. But these attempts to induce Paul to purchase his freedom failed ignominiously; Paul sought favor of neither Felix nor Drusilla, and made the frequent interviews which he had with them an opportunity for preaching to them concerning righteousness and temperance and the final judgment. The case dragged on for two years till Felix, upon his retirement, desiring to gain favor with the Jews … left Paul in bonds (Act 24:27). According to the Bezan text, the continued imprisonment of Paul was due to the desire of Felix to please Drusilla.
Felix was the brother of Pallas, who was the infamous favorite of Claudius, and who, according to Tacitus (Annals xiii. 14), fell into disgrace in 55 ad. Tacitus implies that Felix was joint procurator of Judea, along with Cumanus, before being appointed to the sole command, but Josephus is silent as to this. Both Tacitus and Josephus refer to his succeeding Cumanus, Josephus stating that it was at the instigation of Jonathan the high priest. There is some doubt as to the chronology of Felix’ tenure of office. Harnack and Blass, following Eusebius and Jerome, place his accession in 51 ad, and the imprisonment of Paul in 54-56 ad; but most modern commentators incline to the dates 52 ad and 56-58 ad. These latter interpret the statement of Paul, Thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation (Act 24:10), as referring to some judicial office, not necessarily that of co-procurator (see Tacitus), previously held by Felix in the time of Cumanus, and argue that this earlier connection of Felix with Judea supplied a reason for the advocacy by Jonathan of Felix’ claims to the procuratorship on the deposition of Gumanus. The testimony of Acts as to the evil character of Felix is fully corroborated by the writings of Josephus (BJ, II, xiii). Although he suppressed the robbers and murderers who infested Judea, and among them the Egyptian to whom Lysias refers (Act 21:38), yet he himself was more hurtful than them all. When occasion offered, he did not hesitate to employ the sicarii (see ASSASSINS) for his own ends. Trading upon the influence of his brother at court, his cruelty and rapacity knew no bounds, and during his rule revolts became continuous, and marked a distinct stage in that seditious movement which culminated in the outbreak of 70 ad (so Schrer). His leaving Paul in bonds was but a final instance of one who sacrificed duty and justice for the sake of his Own unscrupulous selfishness. For more detailed information as to dates, etc., compare Knowling (Expos Greek Test., II, 477ff).