Category:Herod Archelaus (subject)
Herod Archelaus (1st century CE) was a member of the Herodian family, the son of Herod the Great and Malthace. From 4 BCE to 6 CE, he was the ethnarch of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea.
Overview
Herod Archelaus was one of the sons of Herod the Great and Malthace. Herod Antipas and Olympias were his siblings. Archelaus and Antipas had to compete with their half-brothers, namely, Antipater II, Alexandros, Aristobulus IV, Herod Boethus, and Herod Philip, for the succession to Herod the Great. Herod Archelaus survived the intrigues and the purges, and at the death of Herod the Great in 4 BCE emerged as the main successor to the throne. The Roman Emperor Augustus appointed him ethnarch of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea, while his brother Herod Antipas and half-brother Herod Philip received the lesser title of tetrarch and ruled over smaller territories.
Archelaus' first wife was Mariamne, probably to be identified with the Hasmonean Mariamne III, the daughter of Aristobulus IV and Berenice I, who in the plans of Herod seems to have been destined to associate his successor (Antipater II first and then Herod Archelaus) with the House of Hasmoneus.
Contrary to his brothers, Archelaus did not prove himself a strong and authoritative leader. His cruelty and inability to control the situation arose great discontent. It certainly did not help his decision to divorce Mariamne to marry Princess Glaphyra of Cappadocia, the widow of his half-brother Alexandros, though her second husband was still alive.
The situation became so critical that the Romans intervened. In 6 CE, after ten year of unhappy rule, Herod Archelaus was deposed by Augustus and banished to Vienne in Gaul. His reign was turned into a Roman province, directly administrated by Roman Governors--a praefectus of equestrian rank, who was responsible to the Roman Governors of Syria of superior senatorial rank.
Herod Archelaus in ancient sources
Herod Archelaus in literature & the arts
Herod Archelaus is mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew (2:21) as the successor of Herod the Great. According to this narrative, [[Joseph and Mary], coming back from Egypt, decided to move to Galilea, as they were afraid of him. These is the only incident in the life of Jesus where Archelaus played (indirectly) some role. In works of fiction is rarely present. Only a few movies, like The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) and La vida de nuestro señor Jesucristo (1980), give him some role in the episode of visit of the Magi.
Herod Archelaus, in scholarship
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