6. He had previously been married to one Doris, the issue of the marriage being a son,
Antipater.
This was the first of the Maccabees who fell victim to his jealousy and cruelty. The
history which now follows is one of sickening carnage. The next to experience his
vengeance were the principal adherents in Jerusalem of his rival Antigonus. Forty-five of
the noblest and richest were executed. His next step was to appoint an obscure
Babylonian to the High-Priesthood. This awakened the active hostility of Alexandra, the
mother of Marimme, Herod's wife. The Maccabean princess claimed the High-Priesthood
for her son Aristobulus. Her intrigues with Cleopatra - and through her with Antony - and
the entreaties of Mariamme, the only being whom Herod loved, though in his own mad
way, prevailed. At the age of seventeen Aristobulus was made High-Priest. But Herod,
who well knew the hatred and contempt of the Maccabean members of his family, had his
mother- in- law watched, a precaution increased after the vain attempt of Alexandra to
have herself and her son removed in coffins from Jerusalem, to flee to Cleopatra. Soon
the jealousy and suspicions of Herod were raised to murderous madness, by the
acclamations which greeted the young Aristobulus at the Feast of Tabernacles. So
dangerous a Maccabean rival must be got rid of; and, by secret order of Herod,
Aristobulus was drowned while bathing. His mother denounced the murderer, and her
influence with Cleopatra, who also hated Herod, led to his being summoned before
Antony. Once more bribery, indeed, prevailed; but other troubles awaited Herod.
When obeying the summons of Antony, Herod had committed the government to his
uncle Joseph, who was also his brother- in- law, having wedded Salome, the sister of
Herod. His mad jealousy had prompted him to direct that, in case of his condemnation,
Mariamme was to be killed, that she might not become the wife of another.
Unfortunately, Joseph told this to Mariamme, to show how much she was loved. But on
the return of Herod, the infamous Salome accused her old husband of impropriety with
Mariamme. When it appeared that Joseph had told the Queen o f his commission, Herod,
regarding it as confirming his sister's charge, ordered him to be executed, without even a
hearing. External complications of the gravest kind now supervened. Herod had to cede
to Cleopatra the districts of Phoenice and Philistia, and that of Jericho with its rich
balsam plantations. Then the dissensions between Antony and Octavius involved him, in
the cause of the former, in a war with Arabia, whose king had failed to pay tribute to
Cleopatra. Herod was victorious; but he had now to reckon with another master. The
battle of Actium7 decided the fate on Antony, and Herod had to make his peace with
Octavius. Happily, he was able to do good service to the new cause, ere presenting
himself before Augustus. But, in order to be secure from all possible rivals, he had the
aged Hyrcanus II. executed, on pretence of intrigues with the Arabs. Herod was
successful with Augustus; and when, in the following summer, he furnished him supplies
on his march to Egypt, he was rewarded by a substantial addition of territory.
7. 31 b.c.