Herod the Husband

Abstract What made a tyrant? It is in the so-called ‘domestic’ portion of the narratives that the seeds of Herod’s gradual descent are most clearly brought to the fore, and we see the familiar traits from ancient literature emerging: paranoia, suspicion, and cruelty among them. Josephus explicitly criticizes Nicolaus’ handling of two key episodes within the domestic sphere: the execution of Mariamne, Herod’s Hasmonean wife, and that of her sons. We argue that, in spite of this overt criticism, Josephus’ treatment of these incidents closely follows Nicolaus, who did indeed include tyrannical elements in his treatment of the king. The death of Mariamne is the focus of this chapter: in addition to the ‘tragic’ elements that are so often noted in her downfall, there is a strong undercurrent of a Hasmonean political threat that directly picks up on those themes noted in the narrative of Herod’s rise to power (Chapter 2). Within this, we also see the seeds of Herod’s descent from energetic usurper to indolent, overpowered monarch.