נגד פלאקוס א׳Against Flaccus 1
א׳
1[1] The policy of attacking the Jews begun by Sejanus was taken over by Flaccus Avillius. He had not like his predecessor the power to ill-treat outright the whole nation, for he had less opportunities of doing so, but those whom he reached suffered the direst misery from the stabs which he dealt to them one and all. And, indeed, though his assault appeared to be only partial, by employing craft rather than power he brought them all wherever they were within the scope of his hostility. For persons naturally tyrannical who have not the addition of strength achieve their malignant designs through cunning.
ב׳
2[2] This Flaccus then, who had been given a place in the suite of Tiberius Caesar, was after the death of Iberus, who had been prefect of Egypt, made prefect of Alexandria and the country round it. He was a man who at first gave to all appearance a multitude of proofs of high excellence. He was sagacious and assiduous, quick to think out and execute his plans, very ready at speaking, and at understanding what was left unspoken better even than what was said.
ג׳
3[3] So in quite a short time he became thoroughly familiar with Egyptian affairs, intricate and diversified as they are and hardly grasped even by those who have made a business of studying them from their earliest years. His crowd of secretaries were a superfluity, since nothing small or great was beyond the reach of his experience, so that he not only surpassed them but thanks to his mastery of detail became the teacher instead of the pupil of his erstwhile instructors.
ד׳
4[4] And all matters connected with accountancy and administration of the revenue he managed successfully. These indeed, great and vital though they were, did not supply proof that he possessed the soul of a leader of men, but in a more open way he displayed qualities which revealed a more brilliant and kingly nature. Thus he bore himself with dignity, for outward pomp is very useful to a ruler. He judged important cases with the help of those in authority, humbled the arrogant and prevented any motley promiscuous horde of people from combining in opposition. The sodalities and clubs, which were constantly holding feasts under pretext of sacrifice in which drunkenness vented itself in political intrigue, he dissolved and dealt sternly and vigorously with the refractory.
ה׳
5[5] Then when he had fully established good order throughout the city and the country he began to turn his attention to supporting the armed forces. He set them in array, drilled, exercised them, cavalry, infantry and light-armed alike, training the officers not to withhold the pay of their men and so incite them to pillage and rapine, and also each single soldier not to interfere in things outside his military duties but remember that he had been appointed also to maintain the peace.