RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Herod and His Family
the first Mariamne to Rome where Caesar received them at court, and shortly after granted to Herod Trachonitis, Batanea, and Auranitis. Herod visited Agrippa in Mytilene and waited upon Augustus on the latter's visit to Syria, receiving such favor that Josephus has left it on record that, after Agrippa, Augustus regarded no one so highly as Herod, and after Augustus Agrippa regarded no one as highly as Herod. Augustus added to Herod's dominions the territory from Ulatha on the sea to Panias at the source of the Jordan, and made his brother Phreroras tetrarch, in acknowledgment of which Herod built a temple dedicated to the emperor at Panias. A system of espionage was established, meetings were forbidden, meeting for converse in the street became unlawful. Even his final attempt to gain the good-will of the Jews by the restoration of the temple was new ground for suspicion, only allayed after the progress had been well advanced. These and like deeds embittered the Jews against him, and this hatred he vainly attempted to remove by remission of taxes. Yet his favor with the Romans he used to gain advantages for the nation and when he obtained further remission of taxes he finally won the applause of the people. He then was at the summit of his fame.
The third period of Herod's reign is marked by the decline of his good fortune. His two sons by
the Maccabean Mariamne, Aristobulus
5. Third and Alexander, were two descendants
Period, of the extirpated family who aroused
14-4 B.C. anew his earlier distrust and enmity.
He had attempted to obliterate all causes of trouble by marrying Aristobulus to his sister's daughter Berenice, and Alexander to Glaphyra, daughter of the king of Cappadocia. During his journey to Agrippa (14 b.c.) the two princes had treated Salome and Phreroras with haughtiness and had given utterance to imprudent remarks about the murder of their mother. To intimidate them from possible revenge Herod recalled to the court his son Antipater by his first wife Doris. This son at once began to intrigue against his half-brother with such effect that Herod took them both to Rome to complain against them to Caesar, who brought about a reconciliation, which was, however, only on the surface. Herod then busied himself with building operations intended to perpetuate the memory of members of his family, and with great liberality made contributions to many cities outside his domains in favor of Greek customs and celebrations, not excluding largess for the Olympic games. While this brought him celebrity of a pleasant sort from the outside world, it excited the hatred of the Jews. The atmosphere of his own court was unwholesome, where resided not only Nicolas of Damascus and his brother Ptolemy, but the numerous wives of the king and a host of eunuchs and disreputable persons. Intrigue was in the air, and the palace inmates became involved. Herod trusted no one. By the device of Antipater suspicion was directed against Alexander, whose adherents were put to torture. Alexander himself was thrown into prison, from which his father-inlaw was just able to save him. But Salome renewed
her intrigues, aided by Eurycles, a worthless Lacedaemonian, and both sons by Mariamne were executed, 7 b.c. Meanwhile an attempt of Herod's against a band of brigands had incensed the emperor, who sent a sharp rebuke to Herod. The latter succeeded in placating the emperor through Nicolas of Damascus, and was given a free hand in dealing with his sons, with the result stated above. Herod named Antipater as his successor, and sent him with the will to Rome. Hardly had this been done when it came out through the death of Phreroras that Antipater had planned to poison Herod. Herod revoked his will; he named Antipas, son of Malthace, his successor, and caused the execution of Antipater. In the joy of the prospect of speedy release from Herod's tyranny through the fatal disease from which he was then suffering, the people were easily induced to tear down from the temple gate the eagle which crowned it. But Herod was sufficiently well to have the instigators of the deed burned alive. His death occurred soon afterward, in the year 4 b.c. He had given orders that the noblest in the land should be slain at his death in order that sincere mourning should take place when he died. His final will directed that his son Archelaus should be king, Antipas was to have the tetrarchy of Galilee and Peraea, and Philip that of Gaulanitis, Trachonitis, and Panias.
Herod was possessed of a powerful physique, uncommon strength of intellect and will, keen powers of observation, quickness in seizing the points of a
situation, presence of mind, cleverness
6. Personal in choosing his means for his purposes,
Character- undaunted courage, and unfailing en-
istics. ergy — a union of qualities which fitted
him for action in a manner seldom attained. With Josephus one must also credit him with good nature and magnanimity, and consequently must not attribute all his actions to selfishness and ambition. This is evident even in his interest in Greek culture and his efforts to further its progress in Palestine. On the othei hand, he was entirely lacking in a sense of duty from the standpoint of ethics. Thus no regard for the situation of the Jews and for their hopes deterred him from maintaining a friendship with the powei most hostile to those hopes, and he was only a heartless, tyrannical, and suspicious savage. So all the accomplishments of his reign, his extension of his kingdom so as to equal that of David, his display of wealth and magnificence, his rebuilding of the temple, his beneficence to heathen which elevated the Jewish name outside Palestine — all which seemed to realize Messianic prophecy — was after all only a caricature of it. (F- Sieffert.)
II. His Family : Archelaus (4 b.c. -6 a.d.), the son of Herod by Malthace, was by the will of his father
to receive the title and Judea, Samaria,
1. Arche- and Idumea. But, inasmuch as that
laus. will was not valid until confirmed by
Augustus, he declined to assume the title of king, though hailed as such by the courtiers. To the people he promised, from a throne erected in the temple enclosure, fair and equitable dealing. The Jews at once made demand for a reduction of some taxes and abolition of others, release of pris-
Herod and His Family