the jus Italicum as an attraction to settlers. This privilege included (a) exemption from the oversight of the provincial governor, (δ) immunity from the poll and property taxes, (c) rights to property in the soil regulated by Roman law (see Marquardt-Mommsen, Rémische Staatsverwaltung, Bd. |., pp. 363-364; Mommsen, Provinces of Roman Empire, Ἱ., pp. 299-302).
But, in addition to its industrial and military importance, Philippi could boast of the religious zeal of its inhabitants. MM. Heuzey and Daumet, in their exhaustive and invaluable Mission Archéo- logique de Macédoine (Paris, 1876), have pointed out that the rocks near the ancient site of Philippi are “a veritable museum of myth- ology” (p. 86). Traces have been found of a temple dedicated to Silvanus, one of the most popular deities of the Imperial epoch, who was worshipped as the sacred guardian of the Emperor (pp. iii, 75). The Oriental god Mén seems also to have had his votaries there, and in the neighbouring mountains Dionysus, the favourite divinity of the Thracians, had “ the most revered of his sanctuaries” (p. ν). This was the spiritual soil upon which the Gospel of Christ had to work, a picture in miniature of the strangely cosmopolitan character of religion in the Roman Empire at that stage in its history. Wecan easily conceive how, amidst these surroundings, the maiden “ pos- sessing a spirit of divination” was sure to drive a flourishing trade.
The account of Paul’s work at Philippi is given in Acts xvi., a chapter belonging, in part, to the “we-sections,”’ which are re- garded as extremely valuable even by the most negative critics. (Por attacks upon the authenticity of this account see Knowling on A, xvi., ad fin., in vol. ii. of this work.) It was thoroughly in accord- ance with the Apostle’s well-weighed plan of operations to choose as the starting-point of his labours in Europe a typical city of the Roman Empire, lying on one of the main trade-routes, where he might count upon protection against violence, and from which any strong influence he might exert must extend itself towards East and West (see Ramsay, Church in Rom. Emp., pp. 56, 70, 148 εἰ al.). Paul seems to have attached himself to a little com- pany of Jews and proselytes (A. xvi. 13 ff.). Mention is only made of some women who assembled for prayer by the river side on the Sabbath day. From this it may probably be gathered that Judaism had no firm hold at Philippi. It is worthy of note that the charge of being Jews is set in the forefront by the enraged Philippians who drag Paul and Silas before the Praetors.! (Por the ancient hatred of
1 See Henle, Tub. Theol. Quartal-Schr., 1893, Hft. 1, p. 82,