Judea was controlled by Herod the Great, a Roman client monarch, from 37 BCE to 4 BCE. He has a reputation for being one of history’s most contentious and polarizing leaders. On his legacies, historians and academics are sharply split. He was the son of Antipater the Idumaean, a prominent Roman general, and was born in Judea’s southern region. After a protracted and brutal battle for the crown, Herod slew several members of his own family. His father was not a Jew, despite the fact that he revered Jewish deities. This became one of the main arguments against Herod as a ruler. In 37 BCE, Herod took the throne, and throughout his rule, the country flourished. He is credited with starting a number of building initiatives that gave the kingdom of Judea an edge over the other Roman Empire kingdoms. He subsequently made Judea a commercial center and developed a number of trade routes to Europe and Asia. His progress was in stark contrast to his brutal rule, though. He didn’t tolerate disagreement. He gradually lost his sense of equilibrium. He murdered his wife Mariamne I and her children in cold blood because he thought she had an affair. He passed away in 4 BCE and left behind a contentious legacy. Historiographers have not yet agreed on one opinion of him.
Background of Herod the Great
Historians have differed on Herod’s birthplace and the year of his birth. Although the majority of historians agree that he was born in Judea’s southern region in 73 BCE, some contend that Antipater and Cyprus actually gave birth to him in 71 or 72 BCE. Hyrcanus II, who was vying to become king of Judea at the time, had Antipater’s support because he was a significant player in Judea’s internal politics.
Pompey, a general in the Roman army, also backed Hyrcanus. Antipater afterwards gained a significant position in the royal court. Soon, a civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey erupted in the Roman Empire. Hyrcanus supported the first. Antipater was made the regent by Julius Caesar as a gesture of gratitude after he triumphed.
Herod was the heir apparent to his father’s throne. Herod was given control of Galilee, while Phasael, his older brother, was named as the ruler of Jerusalem. By that time, Herod was in his mid-20s and well-known for his cruel judgments and excessive arrogance. The group of rabbis known as the “Sanhedrin,” which was highly critical of his actions. He did, however, display remarkable leadership skills after he put a stop to many military uprisings throughout the Roman Empire.
The bulk of the kingdom’s inhabitants were Jews, and their attitude toward Herod was unpopular. His mother was Arab, which made conditions worse and caused multiple uprisings. Another thing that worried many was how Herod was able to handle the uprisings. Herod kept his position, nevertheless, as Caesar ultimately valued his leadership abilities.
Caesar appointed Herod to lead Coele-Syria in 46 BCE. This improved his standing within the empire. But when Julius Caesar passed away, everything changed drastically. Assuming the role of emperor was Cassius. Herod understood that he needed to gain Cassius’s favor in order to survive, and he succeeded in doing so.
Between the Romans and the Parthians, a war broke out. The battles, which primarily took place in Iran and Mesopotamia, resulted in the murder of thousands of Romans. The Jewish populace sided with the Parthians, putting Herod’s life in peril. Herod quickly took action and escaped to Rome. King Hyrcanus was taken prisoner at that point, and his brother had already committed suicide.
His trip to Rome served as the ultimate political and persuasion test. He was not regarded as a man of integrity because he repeatedly switched sides. He did, however, succeed in convincing Octavian and the Roman Senate to attack Judea. As a result, he was crowned king of Judea.
At that time, Antigonus was the ruler, and the Parthian king was vanquished thanks in large part to Antony and Octavian. He was taken prisoner and held in Jerusalem. Herod’s road to the throne was thus made plain.
To rule as a king
Judea was governed by Herod the Great beginning in 37 BCE. He launched his rule with bloodshed. He put down the small uprisings that had begun because of his non-Jewish ancestry. Herod was a cunning man, though, and while he used force to quell the rebellions, he also employed strategy to win over the Jewish populace.
The first step in doing such was to return from Babylon the high priest Hyrcanus. He was aware that when he arrived, people’s faith in him would become stronger. Hyrcanus was given a very high position in the royal court despite the fact that he was too elderly to perform the duties of the high priest at that point.
Then began the time when Herod was well-known. He started various building projects in an effort to help Judea’s Jewish population. Now, a fortress and thick, high walls surrounded the Jerusalem temple and served as its defenses. To keep the good graces of Mark Antony, his sponsor, he dubbed the stronghold citadel “Antonia.”
Herod made new coins with the symbol of an incense burner on a tripod as a demonstration of respect for the traditional Jewish religious rituals. Additionally, Herod made an effort to win over Mark Antony, the Roman ambassador to the eastern province of the Empire, and Cleopatra, his mistress.
But maintaining its unity was a constant battle for the Roman Empire. The kingdoms in the East and the West got into a conflict. Herod was forced to pick a side, and he went with Cleopatra and Mark Antony, the leaders of the east. This was the first time Herod had sided with a losing side; the eastern side had lost.
Herod saw that his throne was under jeopardy. He killed Hyrcanus first, then went to Octavian’s victorious side and met the king in a protracted sequence of actions to secure his rule. He bragged about how he had consistently stood for Mark Antony even after it became clear that he would lose. Octavian admired this mindset. Octavian forgave Herod after hearing his promise that he would continue to be faithful to him.
As a sign of gratitude, when Octavian became the first emperor of the Roman Empire, he gave Herod the kingdom of Samaria. Octavian continued to lead the Roman Empire as “Augustus.”
Herod again resumed his popular-pleasing methods and continued the massive building projects in his reign. There were many temples constructed. To secure the safety of the populace, numerous more structures were constructed. Additionally built were theaters, amphitheaters, stores, bathrooms, latrines, and government buildings.
Herod’s greatest accomplishment was the development of a new port in his reign that he named Sebastos, which is Greek for “Augustus.” It was built as a tribute to the king. The port competed with the empire of Alexandria by offering the general public better commercial channels. It was an amazing feat of engineering. Herod quickly gained fame even in the neighboring countries.
It was challenging to win over the Jewish community, particularly the more conservative ones. Most of the monuments he constructed were highly influenced by Greek architecture, which offended the majority of orthodox Jews. Herod, however, was able to maintain his position of power without incident.
Marriages and kids
In his lifetime, Herod the Great was married ten times. His wives were listed as Doris, Mariamne I, Mariamne II, Malthace, Cleopatra of Jerusalem, Pallas, Phaedra, and Elpis in the chronicles. His second and third marriages are not mentioned in any historical accounts.
Herod had 14 legally born children, including his oldest son from his first marriage, Antipater II. It is thought that he had fathered other offspring, mostly daughters. However, since female births were not typically recorded at that period, there is no record of this.
Years left behind
Herod the Great suffered from medical and mental ailments toward the conclusion of his reign, which caused him to lose mental equilibrium. Mariamne I, his second wife, was put to death when he accused her of adultery. Additionally, he gave the order to kill every child he had had with her.
Additionally, he gave the order to have Antipater II, his eldest son and successor, killed. Augustus, the Roman emperor, is credited with saying that it was safer to be a pig than Herod’s kid at one point. Herod died in 4 BCE from a condition that resembled cancer.
Herod’s will was read by Emperor Augustus. Between his sons Herod Antipas, Archelaus, and Philip, he partitioned his entire realm.
Herodium was used to inter Herod. He had lost a lot of his fame at the time of his death, thus few people mourned him.
Net Worth of Herod the Great
The estimated net worth of Herod the Great is around $1 million.