HEROD, surnamed the Great, was born about seventy-one years before the commencement of the Christian era. When about twenty-five years of age, his father Antipater made him governor of Galilee, where he distinguished himself by suppressing a band of robbers, and executing their ringleader. For this action, which was performed by his own authority, and without trial of the criminals, he was ordered to appear before the Sanhedrim; but, by the influence of his party, and the favour of the high priest, he escaped judgment. During the civil war between the republican and Julian parties, Herod joined Cassius, was made governor of Coelosyria, caused Malichus to be assassinated for having poisoned his father, and ingratiated himself with Marc Antony. After wandering for some time as an exile in Egypt, he found means to arrive at Rome, where Antony received him with great kindness, and the senate made choice of him for the crown of Judaea, about forty years before the birth of Christ. It was at that time in the possession of Antigonus, and he had consequently to fight his way to it. But he was finally victorious, Antigonus was taken prisoner, and Herod succeeded to the regal dignity in the year thirty-seven before Christ. In filling his empty coffers he was guilty of many cruel extortions; yet it is but justice to add, that he performed many acts of clemency. He sent for the aged high priest Hyrcan, who had been deposed, treated him with the greatest kindness, and raised Aristobulus, the brother of his beloved Mariamne, to the pontifical dignity. But soon afterwards, in a fit of jealousy, he caused Aristobulus to be drowned in a bath. Being accused to Antony by his mother-in-law, he appointed his uncle Joseph to govern in his absence, charging him to put the queen to death if his trial should prove fatal to him, as he could not support the idea of her falling into the possession of another.

Herod received a visit from Cleopatra, who is reported to have had amorous inclinations towards him, which he prudently disappointed, from fear of the vengeance of Antony; but he satisfied her avarice with the most ample donations. When hostilities commenced between Antony and Octavius, he raised an army to join the former; but had first to contend with Malchus, king of part of Arabia, whom he defeated, and compelled to sue for peace. After the battle of Actium, he resolved to make terms with the victor, and with this view he put the aged Hyrcan to death, and embarked for Rhodes, where Augustus at that time was. He appeared before the emperor in all the insignia of royalty except his diadem, boldly relating all the services he had performed to his benefactor Antony, and observed that he was willing to transfer the same gratitude to a new patron, from whom he might hold his crown and kingdom.

Augustus was struck with the magnanimity of this defence, and replaced the diadem on his head. When Augustus passed through Syria in his way to Egypt, he was magnificently entertained by Herod, to whom he restored the whole of his dominions, which he even enlarged. Before his interview with Augustus, Herod had given a second order respecting the murder of Mariamne; and becoming jealous of Sohemus, her last guardian, he soon afterwards had her condemned and executed, in spite of the most solemn protestations of innocence. But the remorse occasioned by this barbarous murder was dreadful, and no scenes of riot or debauchery could banish her from his mind. He would frequently call aloud upon her name, and order his attendants to bring her into his presence, as if unwilling to forget that she was no more. He built an amphitheatre at Jerusalem, for the purpose of celebrating games in honour of Augustus; but this exasperated the Jews to such a degree, that a conspiracy was formed against him, which however was detected, and the principal contrivers punished with merciless severity.

He built several strong fortresses in different parts of Judaea for his own security, one of which, in honour of the emperor, was denominated Caesarea. To supply in some measure the loss of Mariamne, he married another lady of the same name, tlie daughter of a priest, whom he raised to the supreme pontificate. He was in such favour with Augustus, that he was appointed imperial procurator of Syria, and obtained a tetrarchate for his brother. To conciliate the favour of the Jews, he undertook the vast work of rebuilding the temple of Jerusalem; and, by constantly employing a whole army of workmen for a year and a half, this magnificent edifice was completed. In the course of another visit to the emperor, Herod obtained new favours, particularly a grant of half the produce of the mines of Cyprus, and the inspectorship of the rest. After this he dedicated his new city of Caesarea, when he exhibited so much profuse magnificence, that Augustus declared his soul was too large for his kingdom. He procured the condemnation and death of his two sons by the first Mariamne, for which he has been bitterly accused; but when we recollect that he took the greatest care of the two sons whom each left behind him, we must conclude that there may have been more reason for their punishment than some are willing to allow. The charge brought against them was an unnatural conspiracy against his life and crown, and it seems to have been fairly substantiated. His brother Pheroras, and his favoured son Antipater, conspired against him; but soon after the discovery of the plot the former died, and the latter went to Rome.

The birth of Christ happened in the thirty-third year of his reign, and is said to have been soon followed by that act of barbarous cruelty 7 , the massacre of the children of Bethlehem, instigated by jealousy of this king of the Jews in a spiritual sense, of whose birth he had obtained information from the magi. It is to be observed that the account of this deed is to be met with nowhere but in St Matthew’s gospel; for whilst Josephus seems to dwell with studied minuteness on the cruelties of Herod, he drops not a single hint respecting this massacre. As Antipater was returning from Rome, he was arrested by his father’s orders, tried and condemned for treasonable practices. These calamities, joined to a shattered constitution, threw Herod into a loathsome distemper, accompanied with remarkable symptoms, which has sometimes been considered as a judgment from heaven. He ordered the sentence against Antipater to be put in execution, and appointed his son Archelaus to succeed him on the throne. According to Josephus, he collected together at Jericho the chief persons amongst the Jews, whom he ordered to be shut up in the circus, giving strict orders to his sister Salome to have them all massacred as soon as he had breathed his last. This order was never executed, and we very much doubt whether it was ever given..

His remains were interred with great pomp and magnificence; and although his memory has been consigned to detestation and abhorrence, his great talents and the glories 1 of his reign conspire to secure him a distinguished place in the list of able but unscrupulous sovereigns.