Last heir to the Hasmonean
dynasty & ancestor of many Herodians. The beautiful
granddaughter of both Hyrcanus
II & Aristobulus
II, married Herod
(32 BCE), the de facto
ruler of Judea,
not long after he had drowned her brother, a popular 16 year old
high-priest. Herod, though madly in love with her, was also an
insanely jealous husband. His Edomite mother [Cypros]
and older sister [Salome]
poisoned his mind by feeding him false rumors that Mariamne had
often committed adultery & was even preparing to win his lustful
patron, Marc
Antony, from the aging Cleopatra. After Antony & Cleopatra were defeated at Actium
(September 31
BCE), Herod placed Mariamne & her mother, Alexandra,
in custody while he went to Rome (30 BCE) to placate the new
emperor, Augustus.
After his triumphant return, he ordered them executed on charges of
infidelity & treason. Mariamne was survived by 2 sons [Alexander &
Aristobulus IV] & 2
daughters [Salampsio & Cypros]. Twenty-two years later, Herod
had both sons executed for treason, like their mother. They lived
long enough, however, to sire Hasmonean grandsons to Herod [Herod
Agrippa I, Herod
of Calchis & Tigranes
of Armenia] who a generation
later together governed more territory than Herod or their Hasmonean
forebears had controlled.
References: Josephus,
Antiquities
15.23-31,
66-85,
185,
202-246.
_____, War
1.241,
431-444.
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