Gessius Florus

Family: Roman · Role: procurator · First appears: Book II, Chapter 14

Gessius Florus, a Roman procurator, succeeded Albinus and devastated entire districts through public rapine. In comparison, Albinus was judged “a most excellent person,” while Cestius quieted the multitude and assured them that Florus would treat them more gently; Florus later conducted Cestius as far as Cesarea.

At Cesarea, Florus accepted eight talents from John the publican and the great men of the Jews, promising to hinder the work, but then left for Sebaste and allowed the sedition to continue. When John the publican and twelve principal men appealed to him there and reminded him of the money, Florus had them seized and imprisoned. He also sent Capito, a centurion, ahead with fifty soldiers to bid them return, while expecting that continued peace would leave the Jews to accuse him before Nero.

At Jerusalem, Florus ordered his soldiers to plunder the Upper Market-place and kill those they encountered. That day, about 3,600 people, including women, children, and infants, were killed, and Roman-dignified Jews were crucified.

Relationship record

Life events

• Gessius Florus succeeded Albinus and devastated entire districts through public rapine.(Book II, Chapter 14)
  • With: Albinus
  • “And although such was the character of Albinus, yet did Gessius Florus 18 who succeeded him, demonstrate him to have been a most excellent person, upon the comparison; for the former did the greatest part of his rogueries in private, and with a sort of dissimulation; but Gessius did his unjust actions to the harm of the nation after a pompous manner”
• Gessius Florus accepted eight talents, then abandoned the dispute to provoke fighting.(Book II, Chapter 14 · 📍 Cesarea)
  • With: John the publican
  • “the great men of the Jews, with John the publican, being in the utmost distress what to do, persuaded Florus, with the offer of eight talents, to hinder the work. He then, being intent upon nothing but getting money, promised he would do for them all they desired of him, and then went away from Cesarea to Sebaste, and left the sedition to take its full course”
• Gessius Florus imprisoned John and the delegation after they appealed for help.(Book II, Chapter 14 · 📍 Sebaste)
  • With: John the publican
  • “But John, and twelve of the principal men with him, went to Florus, to Sebaste, and made a lamentable complaint of their case, and besought him to help them; and with all possible decency, put him in mind of the eight talents they had given him; but he had the men seized upon, and put in prison”
• Gessius Florus ordered soldiers to plunder Jerusalem and kill its inhabitants.(Book II, Chapter 14 · 📍 Jerusalem)
  • “Florus was more provoked at this, and called out aloud to the soldiers to plunder that which was called the Upper Market-place, and to slay such as they met with.”
• Gessius Florus’s soldiers killed about 3,600 people and crucified Roman-dignified Jews.(Book II, Chapter 14 · 📍 Jerusalem)
  • “Accordingly, the whole number of those that were destroyed that day, with their wives and children, [for they did not spare even the infants themselves,] was about three thousand and six hundred.”

Book II, Chapter 14

• with Albinus (Gessius Florus succeeded Albinus in office.) “And although such was the character of Albinus, yet did Gessius Florus 18 who succeeded him, demonstrate him to have been a most excellent person, upon the comparison”
• with Cestius (Cestius undertook to ensure that Florus treated the people more gently.) “Cestius, when he had quieted the multitude, and had assured them that he would take care that Florus should hereafter treat them in a more gentle manner”
• with Cestius (Florus escorted Cestius as far as Cesarea.) “Florus also conducted him as far as Cesarea”
• with John the publican (John petitioned Florus and reminded him of the payment made to him.) “But John, and twelve of the principal men with him, went to Florus, to Sebaste, and made a lamentable complaint of their case, and besought him to help them; and with all possible decency, put him in mind of the eight talents they had given him”
• with John the publican (Florus seized and imprisoned John and the accompanying men.) “but he had the men seized upon, and put in prison, and accused them for carrying the books of the law out of Cesarea”
• with Capito (Florus sent Capito to deliver his order.) “But he sent Capito, a centurion, beforehand, with fifty soldiers, to bid them go back”
• with Nero (Florus feared being accused before Caesar, referring to Nero.) “for he expected that if the peace continued, he should have the Jews for his accusers before Caesar;”

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Extracted from the original text of The Wars of the Jews; Or, The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem. Made with Rho MD.