FELIX (fe'llx), (Gr. 004, fay'lix, happy), a Roman procurator of Judea, before whom Paul so 'reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come,' that the judge trembled, say ing, `Go thy way for this titne ; when I have a con venient season I will call for thee' (Acts xxiv :25).
The context states that Felix had expected a bribe from Paul; and, in order to procure this bribe, he appears to have had several interviews with the Apostle. The depravity which such an expectation implies is in agreement with the idea which the historical fragments preserved re specting Felix would lead the student to form of the man.
The year in which Felix entered on his office cannot be strictly determined. From the words of Josephus (Antic'. xx:7, 1), it appears that his appointment took place before the twelfth year of the Emperor Claudius. Eusebius fixes the time of his actually undertaking his duties in the eleventh year of that monarch.
(1) Elevation and Crimes. Felix was a rc markable instance of the elevation to distinguished station of persons born and bred in the lowest condition. Originally a slave, lie rose to little less than kingly power. For some unknown, but probably not very creditable services, he was man umitted by Claudius Cxsar (Sueton. Claud. 28; Tacit. Hist. v:g) ; on which account he is said to have taken the prwnomen of Clrudius. In Tacitus, however (Joe. cit.), he is surnamed An tonius, probably because he was also a freedman of Antonia, the emperor's mother. The character which the ancients have left of Felix is of a very dark complexion. The country was ready for re bellion, and the unsuitable remedies which Felix applied served only to inflame the passions and to incite to crime. Josephus xx :8, 5) ports that under Felix the affairs of the country grew worse and worse. The land was filled with robbers and impostors who deluded the multitude. Felix used his power to repress these disorders to little purpose, since his own example gave no sanction to justice. Thus, having got one Dineas, leader of a band of assassins, into his hands, by a promise of impunity, he sent him to Rome to receive his punishment. Having a grudge against Jonathan the high-priest, who had expos tulated with him on his misrule, he made use of Doras, an intimate friend of Jonathan, in order to get him assassinated by a gang of villains, who joined the crowds that were going up to the tem ple-worship--a crime which led subsequently to countless evils, by the encouragement which it gave to the Sicarii, or leagued assassins of the day, to whose excesses Josephus ascribes, under Providence, the overthrow of the Jewish state.
(2) Marriage. While in his office, being in flamed by a passion for the beautiful Drusilla, a daughter of King Herod Agrippa, who was mar ried to Azizus, king of Emesa, he employed one Simon, a magician, to use his arts in order to persuade her to forsake her husband and marry him, promising that if she would comply with his suit, he would make her a happy woman. Drusilla, partly impelled by a desire to avoid the envy of her sister, Berenice, was prevailed on to transgress the laws of her forefathers, and consented to a union with Felix. In this marriage a son was born, who was named Agrippa ; both mother and son perished in an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which took place in the days of Titus Cxsar. (See DRUSILLA.) (3) Hears Paul. Paul, being apprehended in Jerusalem, was sent by a letter from Claudius Lysias to Felix at Cxsarea, where he was at first confined in Herod's judgment hall till his accusers came. They arrived. Tertullus appeared as their spokesman, and had the audacity, in order to con ciliate the good will of Felix, to express gratitude on the part of the Jews, 'seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy provi dence' (Acts xxiii; xxiv). Paul pleaded his cause in a worthy speech; and Felix, consigning the Apostle to the custody of a centurion, ordered that he should have such liberty as the circum stances admitted, with permission that his ac quaintance might see him and minister to his wants. This imprisonment the Apostle suffered for a period of two years (Acts xxiv :27).
(4) Summoned to Rome. Felix was recalled to Rome, A. D. 6o, and Festus was sent in his room. To do the Jews a pleasure, he left Paul bound; this, however, did him no service; numbers of them followed him to Rome, and complained of his extortion and violence. He would have been punished with death, had not his brother Pallas, by his credit at court, preserved his life (Acts xxiii and xxiv).