Marcus Antonius Felix (Felix in Greek: ο Φηλιξ, born between 5/10-?) was the Roman procurator of Iudaea Province 52-58, in succession to Ventidius Cumanus.

Life

Felix was the younger brother of the Greek freedman Marcus Antonius Pallas. Pallas served as a secretary of the treasury during the reign of the Emperor Claudius. Felix was a Greek freedman either of Claudius, according to which theory Josephus (Antiq. xx. 7) calls him Claudius Felix, or for Claudius's mother Antonia Minor, a daughter of Triumvir Mark Antony to Octavia Minor and niece of Emperor Augustus. According to Tacitus, Pallas and Felix descended from the Greek Kings of Arcadia. Felix’s cruelty and licentiousness, coupled with his accessibility to bribes (see Book of Acts 24:26), led to a great increase of crime in Judaea. The period of his rule was marked by internal feuds and disturbances, which he put down with severity. After Paul the Apostle was arrested in Jerusalem and rescued from a plot against his life, the local Roman chiliarch Claudius Lysias transferred him to Caesarea, where he stood trial before Felix. On at least one further occasion Felix and his wife Drusilla heard Paul discourse, and later on frequently sent for Paul and talked with him (Acts 24:24-26). When Felix was succeeded as procurator, having already detained Paul for two years, he left him imprisoned as a favor to the Jews (Acts 24:27). On returning to Rome, Felix was accused of using a dispute between the Jews and Syrians of Caesarea as a pretext to slay and plunder the inhabitants, but through the intercession of his brother, the freedman Pallas, who had great influence with the Emperor Nero, he escaped unpunished. Porcius Festus succeeded him as procurator of Judea.

Marriages and issues

Felix married three times. His first wife was princess Drusilla of Mauretania, a maternal second cousin of Emperor Claudius. Drusilla was an only child to Claudius’ late maternal cousin King Ptolemy of Mauretania and his wife Queen of Mauretania Julia Urania. Claudius arranged for Felix and Drusilla to marry around 53 in Rome. Like Felix, Drusilla was partly of Greek descent. Felix and Drusilla had no children. Felix between 54-56, divorced Drusilla to marry another woman. Felix’s second wife was a Judean princess, also named Drusilla, and the daughter of King of Judea Herod Agrippa I, from his wife and cousin Cypros. Felix and the Judean Drusilla, had a son, Marcus Antonius Agrippa, who died along with this Drusilla and many of the inhabitants of Pompeii and Herculaneum in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on 24 August 79, and a daughter, Antonia Clementiana. The Judean Drusilla was one of only two major figures reported as dying in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the other being Pliny the Elder. Antonia Agrippina may have been a daughter from their son's marriage (this name was graffiti in a Royal Tomb in Egypt). Clementiana became a grandmother to a Lucius Anneius Domitius Proculus. Two possible descendants from this marriage are Marcus Antonius Fronto Salvianus (a quaestor) and his son Marcus Antonius Felix Magnus a high priest in 225. After the eruption, Felix married for a third time, but little is known about his third wife.

References

• Tacitus, Annals, xii. 54, Histories v. 9
• Suetonius, Claudius, 28
• Emil Schürer, History of the Jewish People (1890–1891)
• Robertson, A. (1899). "Felix, Antonius". In James Hastings. A Dictionary of the Bible. II. pp. pages 1–2.

commentaries on the Acts of the Apostles

• Sir W. M. Ramsay, St Paul the Traveller
• Carl von Weizsacker, Apostolic Age (Eng. trans., 1894)
• Jewish Encyclopedia: FELIX (ANTONIUS FELIX)
• http://www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk/Egypt/ptolemies/ptolemies_selene_ii.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonius_Felix

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Wagner, Sir Anthony Richard; ‘Pedigree and Progress: Essays in the Genealogical Interpretation of History’

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Please see Discussion on ammended death date.

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Marco Antonio Félix Procurador romano de Judea y Samaria (c 52 DC -c 60 d.C.), cuyo nombre completo era
Marco Antonio Félix. Fue un liberto que servía a Claudio, y hermano de Pallas,ministro del emperador. Félix se había casado 3 veces; la 1ª esposa fue Drusila, una nieta del triunviro Antonio y de Cleopatra; su 2ª esposa, también llamada Drusila, era la hija menor de Herodes Agripa I; no se conoce el nombre de su 3ª esposa. Estaba mal preparado para el alto cargo que tuvo en Palestina, Fue el gobernador romano en la provincia de Judea del 52 al 58 d. C. Sucesor de Ventidio Cumano. Leer más: Diccionario Biblico Cristiano Online y Gratis en Español - Significado o definicion de Felix

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"Algunos días después, viniendo Félix con Drusila su mujer, que era judía, llamó a Pablo, y le oyó acerca de la fe en Jesucristo. Pero al disertar Pablo acerca de la justicia, del dominio propio y del juicio venidero, Félix se espantó, y dijo: Ahora vete; pero cuando tenga oportunidad te llamaré. Esperaba también con esto, que Pablo le diera dinero para que le soltase; por lo cual muchas veces lo hacía venir y hablaba con él. Pero al cabo de dos años recibió Félix por sucesor a Porcio Festo; y queriendo Félix congraciarse con los judíos, dejó preso a Pablo."

Fuente ; Wilkipedia- Hechos de los Apóstoles 24:24-27

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Antonius Felix

Marcus Antonius Felix (Felix in Greek: ο Φηλιξ, born between 5/10-?) was the Roman procurator of Iudaea Province 52-58, in succession to Ventidius Cumanus.

Life

Felix was the younger brother of the Greek freedman Marcus Antonius Pallas. Pallas served as a secretary of the treasury during the reign of the Emperor Claudius. Felix was a Greek freedman either of Claudius, according to which theory Josephus (Antiq. xx. 7) calls him Claudius Felix, or for Claudius's mother Antonia Minor, a daughter of Triumvir Mark Antony to Octavia Minor and niece of Emperor Augustus. According to Tacitus, Pallas and Felix descended from the Greek Kings of Arcadia. Felix became the procurator by the petition of his brother.

Felix’s cruelty and licentiousness, coupled with his accessibility to bribes (see Book of Acts 24:26), led to a great increase of crime in Judaea. The period of his rule was marked by internal feuds and disturbances, which he put down with severity.

After Paul the Apostle was arrested in Jerusalem and rescued from a plot against his life, the local Roman chiliarch Claudius Lysias transferred him to Caesarea, where he stood trial before Felix. On at least one further occasion Felix and his wife Drusilla heard Paul discourse, and later on frequently sent for Paul and talked with him (Acts 24:24-26). When Felix was succeeded as procurator, having already detained Paul for two years, he left him imprisoned as a favor to the Jews (Acts 24:27).

On returning to Rome, Felix was accused of using a dispute between the Jews and Syrians of Caesarea as a pretext to slay and plunder the inhabitants, but through the intercession of his brother, the freedman Pallas, who had great influence with the Emperor Nero, he escaped unpunished. Porcius Festus succeeded him as procurator of Judea.

Marriages and issues

Felix married three times. His first wife was Drusilla of Mauretania the Elder, daughter of Cleopatra Selene II & Juba II of Numidia, and sister to Ptolemy of Mauretania. Drusilla of Mauretania the Elder is often confused with her niece, Drusilla of Mauretania the Younger, daughter of her brother Ptolemy of Mauretania and his mysterious wife Julia Urania. Felix' second wife was Drusilla of Judea, daughter of Herod Agrippa I & Cypros. Drusilla of Judea divorced Gaius Julius Azizus, King of Emesa to marry him. Felix and the Judean Drusilla, had a son, Marcus Antonius Agrippa, who died along with this Drusilla and many of the inhabitants of Pompeii and Herculaneum in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on 24 August 79, and a daughter, Antonia Clementiana. The Judean Drusilla was one of only two major figures reported as dying in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the other being Pliny the Elder. Antonia Agrippina may have been a daughter from their son's marriage (this name was graffiti in a Royal Tomb in Egypt). Clementiana became a grandmother to a Lucius Anneius Domitius Proculus. Two possible descendants from this marriage are Marcus Antonius Fronto Salvianus (a quaestor) and his son Marcus Antonius Felix Magnus a high priest in 225. After the eruption, Felix married for a third time, but little is known about his third wife.

Source :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonius_Felix