The Alexandrians accused the Jews of treason for having helped the Roman troops to conquer
Egypt
so as to gain privileges from them .
Also the Alexandrians accused the Jews of practicing usury (it even amounted to the extent that the Roman emperors owed them money) . The Alexandrians' hatred towards them was also because the Jews lived in isolation , bearing a heavy hatred towards the Pagan Deity .
The Jews began to denounce to the Roman governors that the Alexandrians were collecting and storing weapons in their houses and that they were preparing for a riot against Rome . As a response , the governors effectively confiscated a large quantity of weapons .
The civil war between the two sides began with the visit of Agrippa , a grandson of Herod , to Alexandria . Agrippa was a friend of Caligula and he benefited from his friendship with the Emperor in increasing the privileges enjoyed by the Jews . The Alexandrians ridiculed Agrippa and complained to the Emperor that the Jews disobeyed his order of worshiping him as a god . With this excuse , the Alexandrians broke into the Jewish neighborhood and placed statues of the Emperor in their temples . Caligula issued a decree nullifying the privileges of the Jews . Seizing such an opportunity , the Alexandrians looted the Jews' homes
and businesses and killed many of them .
Since then , delegations of Jews and Alexandrians began to visit Rome to explain their case before the Emperor , who was angry with the former because they denied his divinity .
After the assassination of Caligula , both the Jews and Alexandrians continued sending their delegations to Claudius who tried to appease both sides warning them of serious consequences that were to take place .
But delegations continued and , in one of the audiences , the Alexandrians , Isidoros and Lambon believed that the Emperor favored the Jews and insulted him . Claudius ordered their execution and they were considered , by the Alexandrians , the first martyrs .
)
)
Users Comments