Alexander, son of Herod
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| Alexander | |
|---|---|
.png) Alexander, depicted in the 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle | |
| heir of Judea | |
| Born | c. 35 BC |
| Died | c. 7 BC |
| Spouse | Glaphyra |
| Issue | Tigranes V of Armenia Alexander prince of Judea |
| Dynasty | Herodian dynasty |
| Father | Herod the Great |
| Mother | Mariamne I |
Alexander, son of Herod was born about 35 BC; died about 7 BC. His mother was the
Mariamne
.
The unfortunate fate which persistently pursued the Hasmonean house overtook this prince also. As heir presumptive to the
Asinius Pollio until about the year 17 BC, when Herod himself brought him and his younger brother Aristobulus, who had been with him, home to Jerusalem. Shortly afterward Alexander received in marriage the Cappadocian Princess Glaphyra, the daughter of King Archelaus of Cappadocia. Glaphyra bore Alexander three children, two sons: Tigranes, Alexander and an unnamed daughter.[not verified in body
]
Demise
Alexander's handsome appearance and sincerity endeared him to the public, who supported the house of the
partisans
of Herod, who began to fear retribution should he become King. One concern about this account is Josephus' potential bias towards his Roman audience; his criticism may not be genuine and merely an attempt to discredit Judea after a major rebellion.
Antipater, an older son by another wife, resulted disastrously. Antipater's insidious plotting and the open enmity to Herod shown by Alexander widened the breach between father and son to such an extent that in the year 12 BC, Herod felt himself constrained to bring charges against his sons before Augustus. A reconciliation was brought about, but it was of short duration; and shortly afterward (about 10 BC) Alexander was thrown into prison upon the evidence of a tortured witness who accused him of planning the murder of Herod. Intercepted letters were produced which revealed Alexander's bitterness against his father. In vain did Archelaus, Alexander's father-in-law, endeavor to bring about better relations between them; the reconciliation was again a brief one, so that once more the intrigues of Antipater and Salome succeeded in securing the incarceration of Alexander and Aristobulus (about 8 BC).[citation needed
] This was dynastic conflict, in the key territory bridging West and East and the context was instability erupting across the Roman Empire.
Conviction
Herod lodged formal complaint of
death by the cord.[citation needed
]
Family tree of the Herodian dynasty
| Antipater the Idumaean procurator of Judea | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1.Doris 2. Mariamne II 4.Malthace | Herod I the Great king of Judea | 5.Cleopatra of Jerusalem 6.Pallas 7.Phaidra 8.Elpis | Phasael governor of Jerusalem | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (1) Antipater heir of Judaea | (2) Alexander I prince of Judea | (2) Aristobulus IV prince of Judea | (3) Herod II Philip prince of Judea | (4) Herod Archelaus ethnarch of Judea, Idumea | (4) Herod Antipas tetrarch of Galilea & Perea | (5) Philip the Tetrarch of Iturea & Trachonitis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tigranes V of Armenia | Alexander II prince of Judea | Herod Agrippa I king of Judea | Herod V ruler of Chalcis | Aristobulus Minor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tigranes VI of Armenia | Herod Agrippa II king of Judea | Aristobulus ruler of Chalcis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gaius Julius Alexander ruler of Cilicia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gaius Julius Agrippa quaestor of Asia | Gaius Julius Alexander Berenicianus proconsul of Asia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lucius Julius Gainius Fabius Agrippa gymnasiarch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- Josephus, Ant. xv. 10, § 1; xvi. 1, § 2; 3, §§ 1-3; 4, §§ 1-6, etc.;
- Schürer, Gesch. i. (see index);
- Grätz, Gesch. d. Juden, ii. (see index)