Catullus

Family: Roman · Role: governor of the Libyan Pentapolis · First appears: Book VII, Chapter 11

Around c. 72 at Cyrene, Catullus pursued Jonathan after his unarmed followers were defeated; Jonathan fled but was eventually captured. To escape punishment, Jonathan falsely accused wealthy Jews of having directed his actions, enabling Catullus to persecute them.

Catullus ordered Alexander and Bernice slain, then caused at least three thousand wealthy Jews to be killed and confiscated their property. At Alexandria, the accusations extended to prominent Jews including Josephus. “One of these, against whom this treacherous accusation was laid, was Josephus, the writer of these books.” Not long afterward, Catullus developed a severe illness and died miserably.

Relationship record

Life events

• c. 72 · Jonathan’s unarmed followers were defeated, and Jonathan was captured after fleeing.(Book VII, Chapter 11 · 📍 Cyrene)
  • With: Jonathan (Cyrenian rebel)
  • “So he sent out after him both horsemen and footmen, and easily overcame them, because they were unarmed men; of these many were slain in the fight, but some were taken alive, and brought to Catullus. As for Jonathan, the head of this plot, he fled away at that time; but upon a great and very diligent search, which was made all the country over for him, he was at last taken.”
• c. 72 · Jonathan falsely accused the richest Jews to escape punishment, enabling Catullus’s persecution.(Book VII, Chapter 11)
  • With: Jonathan (Cyrenian rebel)
  • “for he falsely accused the richest men among the Jews, and said that they had put him upon what he did.”
• c. 72 · Catullus ordered Alexander and Bernice executed based on Jonathan’s false accusations.(Book VII, Chapter 11)
  • With: Alexander (unresolved ch110) Bernice (unresolved ch110)
  • “These two Catullus ordered to be slain in the first place”
• c. 72 · Catullus caused three thousand wealthy Jews to be slain and confiscated their property.(Book VII, Chapter 11)
  • “he caused all the rich and wealthy Jews to be slain, being no fewer in all than three thousand.”
• c. 72 · Catullus extended his false accusations against prominent Jews, including Josephus.(Book VII, Chapter 11 · 📍 Alexandria)
  • With: Josephus Jonathan (Cyrenian rebel)
  • “One of these, against whom this treacherous accusation was laid, was Josephus, the writer of these books.”
• c. 72 · Catullus developed a terrible illness and died miserably.(Book VII, Chapter 11)
  • “yet was it not long before he fell into a complicated and almost incurable distemper, and died miserably.”

Book VII, Chapter 11

• with Jonathan (Cyrenian rebel) (interaction) “he did not only give a too easy belief to his stories, but he taught the Sicarii to accuse men falsely. He bid this Jonathan, therefore, to name one Alexander”
• with Jonathan (Cyrenian rebel) (interaction) “he devised a way whereby he both escaped punishment himself, and afforded an occasion to Catullus of doing much mischief; for he falsely accused the richest men among the Jews”
• with Alexander (unresolved ch110) (interaction) “These two Catullus ordered to be slain in the first place”
• with Bernice (unresolved ch110) (interaction) “These two Catullus ordered to be slain in the first place”
• with Josephus (Josephus was among those falsely accused through Catullus's plot.) “One of these, against whom this treacherous accusation was laid, was Josephus, the writer of these books.”

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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.