by Mulford Q. Sibley

Published in Pace Bene’s book, Engage: Exploring Nonviolent Living. Reprinted from: The Quiet Battle: Writings on the Theory and Practice of Non-Violent Resistance, edited by Mulford Q. Sibley. War Resisters League Calendar 2002.

Caligula ruled the Roman Empire from 37 to 41 C.E., a short but memorable reign of caprice and terror. At one point, he ordered a statue of himself built in the Temple of Jerusalem, knowing full well that the Jewish people would not allow any man’s statue to be placed in the temple. Caligula appointed Petronius a governor of Syria and sent him to the eastern Mediterranean with explicit orders to erect the statue, even if it meant bloodshed.

On the way, Petronius was met by thousands of Jews who offered themselves as sacrifices rather than allow the idolatry proposed by Caligula. Petronius was prepared to do battle, but the Jews refused to fight, and lay down at Petronius’s encampment, ready to die rather than see the statue built. For forty days Petronius was faced with this defiant but nonviolent mass, and finally he announced that he would petition Caligula on their behalf and offer his one life instead of thousands of their lives. Before Caligula received the petition, he decided to abandon the statue as a favor to his ally and friend Agrippa, King of Palestine.

In a story of coincidences, Caligula sent a letter to Petronius advising him to give up on the statue. Then, the petition from Petronius arrived. Angered that Petronius would not have carried out his order, Caligula ordered Petronius to go right ahead and kill himself. Luckily for Petronius, news of Caligula’s assassination arrived before the death warrant, and the statue project was given up.