Anilaios and Asianios

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Anilaios and Asianios were a Jewish brother couple who, in the first century AD, plundered through Babylonia , which was then part of the Parthian Empire , and established a semi-autonomous state. This led to one of the first major massacres of Jews, allegedly killing 50,000 of them. Their story is passed down by Flavius ​​Josephus .

Anilaios and Asianios were orphans who grew up with a weaver, but fled him when they were about to be punished for something. They became robbers, extorted protection money and quickly became wealthy. The local Parthian satrap noticed them and sent an army against them, but they were defeated. The Parthian King Artabanos II then became aware of them, had both of them come to court and granted them freedom and a certain autonomy, above all to keep rebellious satraps in check.

For the next 15 years they were able to hold a kind of vassal state and even began to build fortresses, but their rule was perceived as tyrannical. Their downfall was initiated by the wife of Anilaios, whom he married after Anilaios had killed her former husband. This woman was despised by Asianios because, despite the marriage, she continued to follow pagan customs and this was tolerated by Anilaios. Eventually she poisoned Asianios. Anilaios now took sole control and continued to plunder Babylonian villages, which were under the care of the satrap Mithridates, a son-in-law of Artabanos II. Anilaios was able to capture Mithridates, but did not kill him in order not to hurt Artabanos II too much upset. Mithridates then gained the upper hand. Anilaios withdrew to remote parts of Babylonia, where he continued to plunder villages, but was eventually killed by angry locals.

After the death of Anilaios, the Jews of Babylonia feared the persecution of the natives and fled to Seleucia on the Tigris , where they hoped to be able to live in peace between Greeks and Syrians - and not Babylonians - which turned out to be a misjudgment. Five years later, the city's residents are said to have turned against the Jews and killed 50,000 of them. Few escaped this massacre.

literature

  • Tessa Rajak : The Parthians in Josephus . In: Josef Wiesehöfer (ed.): The Parthian Empire and its testimonies . Franz Steiner, Stuttgart 1998, pp. 314-317.

Ancient sources