⁵⁷⁸ Josephus refers primarily to Aristotle, the speaker in the story to follow, and perhaps secondarily to Clearchus, handsomely praised in the next section. That Josephus should add this comment is extremely revealing of his cultural strategy. He seeks mention (and preferably praise) from, above all, the very noblest of Greeks (see at 1.2) – their nobility being measured on a scale devised by Greek intellectuals themselves. The social snobbery in the adjective “the most worthless” ( οἱ φαυλότατοι; cf. 1.53, 210; 2.3, 236, 278; where it has a moral tone I translate “despicable”) reflects the stance of an educated elite, whose “wisdom” ( σοφία) or “education” ( παιδεία, 1.181) is defined by their own culturally specific standards. In this context (contrast Ant. 20.262-65), Josephus is required to adopt this status-evaluation, even though this means that such Greeks’ admiration of Judeans will amount to little more than admiration of themselves (for being “like us”; see 1.180-81). His strategic admiration of “Greek” philosophy is also evident elsewhere (2.168, 239, 281).