The life and work of St. Paul

THESSALONICA AND BEROSA, 291
fawned at the feet of the influential, the lazzaroui of streets, more loafers and
loiterers, the hangers-oa of forum, 1 the claqueurs of law-courts, the scum that
gathered about the shallowest outmost waves of civilisation. Hiring the
assistance of theso roughs and scoundrels, 2 the Jews disturbed the peace of
the city by a fanatical riot, and incited the mob to attack the house of Jason.
in order to bring the Apostles before the popular Assembly. But Paul had
received timely warning, and he and his companions were in safe concealment.
Foiled in this object, they seized Jason and one or two others whom they
recognised as Christians, and dragged them before the Poiitarchs, 3 or presiding
magistrates of the free "
city of Thessalonica. Theso fellows," they
these seditions agitators of the civilised world* have found thoir
shouted, '
way here also. Jason has received them. The whole set of them ought to
be punished on a crimen majcstatis, for they go in the teeth of Caesar's
decrees, and say that there is a different king, namely Jesus." 6 But the mob
did not altogether succeed in carrying thoir point. In dealing with the seven
Poiitarchs, under the very shadow of the proconsular residence, they were
dealing with people of much higher position, and much more imbued with the
Roman sense of law, than the provincial duumviri of Philippi. Neither the
magistrates nor the general multitude of the city liked the aspect of affairs.
It was on the face of it too ludicrous to suppose that hard-working artisans
like Jason and his friends could bo seriously contemplating revolutionary
measures, or could be really guilty of laesa majestas. 6 A very short hearing
sufficed to show them that this was some religious opinion entertained by a
few poor people, and so far from taking strong measures or inflicting any
punishment, they contented themselves with making Jason and the others give
some pecuniary security J that they would keep the peace, and so dismissed
1 Sulrostrani (Cic. Epp. Fam. viii. 1, 2), Sulbasilicani (Plant. Capt. Iv. 2, 35), turba
fwftaii. "Lewd" (A.S. Ixwede) means (1) lay, (2) ignorant, (3) bad.
2 Acts xvii. 5, TWV iyopaiwv av&pas nyAs jroKTjpou?. Cf. AT. Eg. 181 ; Sen. De Sencf. 7.
3 This name is unknown to classical literature. It would have furnished tine scope
for the suspicious ingenuity of Baur and Zeller, had it not been fortunately preserved as
the title of the Thessalonian magistrates on a still legible inscription over the triumphal
arch at Thessalonica, known as the Vardar gate (Bockh. Inscr. 19G7). This arch was
recently destroyed, but the fragments were saved by our Consul, and were brought to tha
British Museum in 1876. There are seven, and among them the names of Sosipater,
Giiius, and Secundus. There are no soi-disant orpanfyol or pa5oOx