Herodius

I am a woman of high position. I am a granddaughter of Herod the Great who carved out his empire with a sword and sought to destroy the child Jesus. You've heard some stories about him, I suppose. It is recorded that he had ten wives and killed his first wife Mariamne, the only human being he ever seems to have loved. My father, Aristobulus, was the son of Herod the Great by this Mariamne.

My first marriage was to my half-uncle Herod Philip. I divorced him to marry his half-brother Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea. He is mentioned more frequently in the New Testament than any other Herod. Before our marriage, he had been married to the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia Petraea. Aretas never forgave my husband for slighting his daughter–well, that's the way he saw it. What happened was that Herod Antipas was passionate for me, and so he divorced her and married me while my first husband was still alive. Recently, Aretas decided to get even with my husban; he invaded Herod's territory and defeated him. Then at my urging, Herod Antipas went to Rome to ask for the title of king, but not only was his request denied, but he was banished to Lugdununi. Ah, whatever is going to happen to me? I seem to have no other choice than to live there as well.

Herod Antipas will no doubt be remembered for building Tiberias, such a beautiful city by the sea. And he restored Sepphoris, and Bethharem in Perea which he named Julias after the emperor's wife. In the Scriptures, he is remembered as the one to whom Jesus was sent for examination by Pilate. But how am I to be remembered? I suppose that rather gruesome little event that is recorded in the New Testament Scriptures, the one involving John the Baptist.

Well, he had it coming to him. He had the nerve to speak out to Herod about our marriage, saying, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." Herod would have put John to death at once, but he feared the multitude which looked upon John the Baptist as a prophet. Still and all, my opportunity came. I have a daughter by my first marriage–Salome–and on Herod's birthday, she danced for him at a gathering of his political friends. I was there too, sitting apart from Herod but looking on. My daughter's sensuous dancing pleased Herod so much that he said to her, "Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee."

So she came to me and said, "What shall I ask?"

And my answer? . . . "the head of John the Baptist." And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head, and he brought it in on a platter and gave it to my daughter, and she presented it to me.

Return to Chart for Links

Herodias

List of Bible References

Matthew 14:3, 6 – Mark 6:17, 19, 22 – Luke 3:19