The second period of Herod's reign, extending from B.C. 25 to B.C. 13, was characterized by ex- tension of his kingdom and great building opera- tions. Trachonitis, Batansea, and Auranitis were given to him by Augustus about B.C. 23 (Ant. xv. X. 1 ; BJ I. XX. 4), and to these the tetrarchy of Zenodorus together with the country of Ulatha and Panias was added about three years later {Ant. XV. X. 3; BJ 1. XX. 4 ; Dio Cass. xlv. 9). During this period many cities were built or beautified by Herod, both in "his own territory and in surround- ing countries. Fortresses were constructed, and temples in honour of Augustus adorned Samaria (Sebaste), Panias (Csesarea Philippi), and Strato's Tower (Coesarea). But the greatest of Herod's works of construction were the harbour at Strato's Tower and the Temple at Jerusalem. The latter, begun about B.C. 19, was partially completed in a year and a half (the inner temple), and the whole brought to a temporary completion in about eight years, when it was formally dedicated, although work was continued on it until the time of Albinus (procurator A.D. 62-64, cf. Avf. xv. xi. 5, 6, XX. ix. 7 ; Jn 22"). Herod also built himself a magnificent palace in Jerusalem. Theatre, amphitheatre, and hippodrome were the scenes of plays and games not only in Ca?sarea and Jericho, but in Jerusalem. Mercenary tioops, aided by .spies and strict police regulations, kept the people in subjection. Out- lying districts such as Trachonitis were colonized to suppress disturbances. Herod's power was at its height. In his court were men of Greek learn- ing, such as Nicolaus of Damascus and his brother Ptolemy. As a rex socius, Herod had the right to issue copper coinage. His friendship \vith Rome was firmly established. He interested himself in the Jews of the Dispersion, and helped to secure them their rights in Asia Minor. He also made generous provision from his private means to alle-
* Just what their descent was does not clearly appear from Josephus. They seem to have been related to the Hasmona^ans. They were to have been killed when Herod took Jerusalem. But Costobar saved them, and had kept them concealed until Salome, his wife, left him, and made the matter known to
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HEROD
viate the suffering caused bj- a famine (B.C. 25), and on two occasions remitted part of the peoples taxes, one-third in B.C. 20 and one-fourth in B.C. 14. But the glory of his reign and the material splen- dour of his works were offensive to the relij consciousness of his subjects, and Ids sporadic
of unselfishness failed to afoase any permanently
people.
The last period of Herod's reign, from B.C. 13 to
cordial response in the peop
B.C. 4, was one of familj; intrigue which formed, as Wellhausen aptly puts it, ' a chapter of court liis- tory in true Oriental style.' After the death of Mariamne, Herod had married another Mariamne, daughter of a certain Simon, a priest whom Herod liad made higli priest. He had also other A\-ives, seven in number. His first wife had been recalled to court. His sister Salome and Iiis mother Cypros had already shown some ability in the gentle art of false suggestion. Herod's brother Pheroras, whom he had made tetrarch of Periea and Idumtea, was at hand with his wife. There were present also the two heirs to the throne, Alexander and Aristo- bulus, sons of Mariamne I., both proud of their Hasmontean descent, possibly a little haughty in their manner, certainly a little unwise in their con- fidential conversations ; having a grievance in the unjust death of their mother, but no protection against its misuse by their enemies ; holding their mother's opinion of Herod's kindred, — an opinion shared by Glaphyra, wife of Aristobulus and daughter of Archelaus, king of Cappadocia, and fully reciprocated in kind by Salome and Cypros. If to this we add the villainy of a scoundrel like Euryclus, the presence of Antipater, Herod's eldest son, recalled to court for the purpose of checking presumptuous hopes of succession on the part of Alexander and Aristobulus ; and, finally, the sus- picious nature of Herod, now made more so by age, and the use of an absolute power over the lives of liis subjects to extort evidence by torture, — under such conditions as these, ' where many things were done and more were believed and repeated,' intrigue could hardly fail to ripen into tragedy.
Soon after the return of Alexander and Aristo- bulus from Rome, where they had been educated, they were suspected of plotting vengeance on Herod for "their mother's death, and of entertaining prema- ture hopes of succession to the throne. Herod himself preferred charges against them before the Emperor at Aquileia, out Augustus succeeded in effecting a temporary reconciliation. Subsequently Alexander was arrested, but released tlirough the influence of Archelaus. Gradually, however, the meshes of intrigue closed around the Hasmonjean brothers. Permission was obtained from AugiLStus to bring them to trial, but the Emperor's sugges- tions about the constitution of the court were not strictly adhered to. Herod himself appeared as a witness against his sons, and the court condemned them by a majority vote, Satuminus and his sons dissenting. They were strangled at Sebaste (Sa- maria), and buried at Alexandrinum about the year B. C. 7. Finally, on the death of his brother Pheroras, Herod discovered that Antipater, who had gone to Rome bearing the will of his father, which named him as successor to the throne, was himself impli- cated in a patricidal plot. Thereupon Herod wTote to Antipater, urging ^^■ith great solicitude and paternal affection his speedy return. On arriving in Jerusalem, Antipater was brought to trial before Varus, Nicolaus of Damascus appearing to prose- cute the case for Herod. And when Antipater failed to clear himself, he was cast into prison, while Herod awaited permission from Augustus to put him to death.