At this time Mark Anthony sent for Aristobolus, and Herod, fearing the result of the

presence of this handsome youth at court, deposed Hananell and made Aristobolus High

Priest. He then became jealous of the popularity of Aristobolus, and had him drowned

while entertaining him at his balsam gardens at Jericho. Cleopatra now induced Anthony

to summon Herod to appear before him at Laodicea. Herod left instructions that, in the

event of his death at the hands of Anthony, Mariamne should not be permitted to survive

him. This instruction leaked out, and on his return from Laodicea, Mariamne charged

him with it. In a paroxysm of fury Herod ran at her with his sword, ordered his slave to

be executed, and Alexandra his mother-in-law to be flung into prison.

Anthony, in his mad infatuation, had given to Cleopatra the revenues of Greece,

Cyprus, Phoenicia, Crete, Syria, Iturea and parts of Cilicia. Lysanius, the tetrarch of

Abylene, was put to death, and the lease of his territory was given to Cleopatra. But still

this "all-rapacious harlot" was unsatisfied. She wanted also the crown of Judæa, and had

already secured the balsam gardens close to Herod's capital, Jericho. She now visited

Herod in prison, being confident that the glamour and fascination that had captivated

Mark Anthony, would prove too strong for Herod.  However, he resisted all her

blandishments--which only made her the more relentless and furious. Fearing, therefore,

that he would lose his Kingdom, he selected the fortress of Masada on the Dead Sea,

stored it with provisions, and made it capable of receiving 10,000 men. Very soon,

however, Octavian had beaten Mark Anthony, and Herod transferred his friendship to the

victorious side. "The ever restless Alexandra, still nursing her plans of ambition and

revenge, persuaded the poor, aged, deposed High Priest Hyrcanus to further her efforts".

The plot was discovered and Hyrcanus, sole survivor of the Princely Asmonæans, laid his

head on the block at the age of eighty.

Herod so impressed Octavian with his vigour and magnificent endowments that he

bade him resume his crown, and returned to him the balsam gardens that had been given

to Cleopatra, as well as many cities, including the fortress known as Strato's Tower,

which he turned into the splendid capital city of Cæsarea.

Further machinations by Alexandra led to the execution of her daughter Mariamne,

Herod's wife. No sooner, however, was Mariamne dead than remorse and regret preyed

upon the king until he fell a victim to the pestilence that was raging at the time. On

hearing of a further plot of Alexandra's, however, he seemed to shake off his sickness,

and ordered her execution. His day of peace, however, had passed. Another baneful

woman was at work to accomplish further misery for Herod the Great.

Salome was already a grandmother, and growing tired of her second husband. She

revealed to Herod the fact that Baba had concealed two youths of Maccabæan origin,

with the result that further executions followed. "And so, through rivers of blood, Herod

waded to his doom."