Roman Power Struggles Shaped Judea Through Caesar and Herod

Key Quotes

"We get our evidence for this from Josephus main evidence a very important Jewish historian of the first century of our era who cites documents attesting to Caesar's support of the Jews. He exempted Jews in certain places in the eastern Mediterranean from military service, recognizing the importance of the dietary laws and observance of the Sabbath, and he made sure that Jewish synagogues were not penalized by the laws in Rome against illicit gatherings."

Barry Strauss explains that Julius Caesar was a significant patron of the Jewish people, citing the historian Josephus as evidence. Caesar's support included exempting Jews from military service to accommodate their religious observances and protecting their synagogues from being classified as illegal assemblies. This demonstrates Caesar's unique approach to Judaism within the Roman Empire.

"The problem that many ambitious Romans have is that when Caesar comes back from Spain he's sucking up all the air in the room and it looks like it's going to be all about Caesar all the time and even some of Caesar's supporters who helped him in his rise to power are feeling gee I didn't sign up for this this is not what I had in mind."

Barry Strauss highlights the political climate in Rome following Caesar's return from military campaigns. He notes that Caesar's overwhelming success and dominance created a situation where even his former allies felt their own ambitions were being sidelined. This suggests that the conspiracy against Caesar may have stemmed not only from ideological opposition but also from personal frustration among those who felt their own paths to power were being blocked.

"He was planning to go to the east and launch this great military campaign in its most ambitious form he was going to first of all take on Dacia roughly Romania a kingdom that is rich in gold so attractive to the Romans but the main event was to attack the Parthian Empire the Iranian empire of the day and to avenge his friend Crassus who had been defeated crushed really in the battle of Carrhae in Syria about 10 years earlier than than 44."

Barry Strauss discusses Julius Caesar's post-civil war plans, emphasizing his intention to lead a major military expedition into the East. This campaign was envisioned to include conquering Dacia and, more significantly, attacking the Parthian Empire to avenge the defeat of his associate Crassus. This reveals Caesar's continued ambition for military glory and expansion, even after consolidating power in Rome.

"Decimus is not going to go on this great military expedition to the East; instead, he is gonna be given a provincial governorship in northern Italy, which is not as bad as it sounds because this is still a pretty wild west kind of area in the northernmost part of Italy and in fact, as the governor, Decimus goes on to win some victories over what the Romans thought of as barbarian tribes and then to be able to claim a triumph."

Barry Strauss analyzes the motivations of Decimus, one of Caesar's key conspirators, by examining his post-assassination prospects. Strauss explains that Decimus was offered a provincial governorship in northern Italy rather than joining Caesar's grand eastern campaign. While this position offered opportunities for military success and a triumph, Strauss suggests it was perceived by Decimus as a lesser role, potentially fueling his resentment and contributing to his decision to join the conspiracy.

"Trebonius also had fought with Caesar in Gaul and at the climactic battle of Alesia; he had been stationed next to Mark Antony. So they knew each other well and Trebonius is given the job on the Ides of March of buttonholing Antony and keeping him out of the Senate House. This is really important because Antony is a big strong guy and he might have rallied Caesar's supporters in the Senate House to stop the assassins."

Barry Strauss details the crucial role of Trebonius in the assassination of Julius Caesar. He explains that Trebonius, who had a history of fighting alongside Caesar, was tasked with detaining Mark Antony outside the Senate House on the Ides of March. Strauss emphasizes the strategic importance of this action, as Antony's presence inside the Senate could have potentially thwarted the assassination attempt by rallying Caesar's supporters.

"Herod also infuriates conventional opinion by building a I believe it is a hippodrome outside of Jerusalem where he carries on; he also has gladiatorial games and and other games that are absolutely outrage traditional Jewish opinion and yet he turns around and he rebuilds the temple in spectacular fashion."

Barry Strauss describes how Herod the Great's actions created significant discontent among his Jewish subjects. He notes that Herod's construction of pagan structures like a hippodrome outside Jerusalem, which hosted gladiatorial games, deeply offended traditional Jewish sensibilities. This is contrasted with Herod's simultaneous, spectacular rebuilding of the Second Temple, illustrating his complex and often contradictory approach to governing Judea.