III. ANTIPATER, Son of Herod the Great, and Grandson of the Antipater we have been speaking of, was born of Doris, Herod’s first Wife. His Father made him marry the Daughter of Antigonus, who had been beheaded at Antioch by Antony’s order. As Antipater’s Mother was not a Woman of quality, and he was born while Herod was no more than a private Gentleman, this Prince kept him and his Mother for some time at a distance from the Court; and never determined to recall him, till it appeared that Alexander and Aristobulus, his two Sons by Mariamne, who was of the Asmonæan race, talked in such a manner as raised some distrust in him of their submission to his will; and till they had been rendred suspected to him by ill reports, which were carried to him, of their conduct and conversation1.
Then he began to treat Antipater with a great deal of distinction, and encouraged him to hope that he might declare him his Successor to the Kingdom. When he visited Agrippa, who was returning to Rome, he carried Antipater with him, recommended him to Agrippa, and desired him to present him to Augustus, and procure for him the honour of this Emperor’s good graces. As soon as Antipater saw the preference thus given to him before his Brothers, he thought of nothing so much as their destruction, that so he might have no competitors who might dispute the Crown with him. He accused them, tho’ he was absent; and Herod, who already, upon other accounts, was not very well disposed towards them, carried them to Rome, in order to accuse them before Augustus. But the Emperor reconciled them with their Father, and Herod brought them back from Rome, and Antipater with them. At his return, he In the Year of the World 3993, before J. C. 7. before the vulgar Æra 11.called the people together in the Temple, and then declared to them that his Sons should reign after him in their order, first Antipater, then the two Brothers Alexander and Aristobulus2.
Antipater’s ambition soon filled Herod’s palace with apprehensions and troubles, by the calumnies which he raised against his Brothers. Herod, who had placed all his confidence in him, heard his accusations without any distrust, because Antipater feigned often to take their part, and defend them in the King’s presence, against those who said any thing to their disadvantage s. At last he accomplished their destruction, and they were strangled at Sebaste, by Herod’s order3, in the year of the World 3999. a year before the birth of our Saviour. When this was done, the Wretch had only one thing more to do, which was to procure his Father’s death, that he might be the sooner in possession of the Kingdom. He formed a conspiracy therefore against him, with his Uncle Pheroras, Herod’s Brother v. Some concerned in the plot were discovered and punished. The King forbad Antipater to have any correspondence with Pheroras; and Antipater, to remove any suspicion which might be entertained against his own person, prevailed with his friends at Rome to demand him, who accordingly wrote to Herod that he must immediately send his Son to the Emperor.
Antipater therefore departed from Jerusalem with great presents, and Herod’s will, wherein he was declared first Successor to his Father, in case of his mortality; and next to him was named Herod born of Mariamne, Daughter to the High Priest Simon. During Antipater’s absence, Herod discover’d in an unquestionable manner, that he had conspired against his life, and had procured poison to dispatch him. Bathyllus, Antipater’s slave, whom he had made free, coming from Rome, confessed that he had brought poison to Doris and Pheroras, which the King was to take, in order effectually to destroy him; if the first dose which they were to give him, and as he supposed, they had given him, did not operate, as they expected. Herod no longer doubting his Son’s wickedness, wrote to him, without revealing any thing he knew to him, desiring he would return with all speed possible, lest something should happen in his absence, that might give him disturbance. Antipater returned into Judæa, without learning from any one what had passed, tho’ there had been seven months between the discovery of the treason, and his return to Palestine w.
When he arrived at Cæsarea, he was surprized to find that no one came to meet him, or shewed any forwardness to do him honour. At Jerusalem, as soon as he came thither, his friends were not permitted to enter into the palace with him; and when he would have embraced the King, he thrust him from him, reproached him with the death of his Brothers Alexander and Aristobulus, and with the parricide which he had intended to commit on his person. The next day, he was ordered to appear before Varus Governour of Syria, Herod himself being his accuser. The poison which he had prepared for his Father was produced, and a criminal under sentence of death was compelled to take it, who died instantly. Antipater having nothing to say in his own justification, was loaded with irons, and put in prison. Herod at the same time wrote to Augustus, to acquaint him with his Son’s proceedings. In the mean time the King fell sick, and was carried by his own appointment to Jericho, there to be looked after. Not long after, the Ambassadors whom he sent to Rome returned, and reported that Augustus left him In the Year of the World 4001. before J. C. 1. before the vulgar Æra 3.at liberty to do what he thought proper with Antipater; to send him into banishment, or put him to death, as he should judge to be most fitting.
This news was agreeable to Herod: but his indisposition increasing daily, he called for an apple and a knife, as it were with a design to pare it, and as he was preparing to stab himself with the knife, Achiab his Grandson, who was present, held him by the arm, and made a great outcry; whereupon it was concluded that the King was dead. This rumour reached Antipater’s prison, who begg’d his keeper to set him at liberty, making him large promises both for the present and the time to come. Herod being informed of this, raised himself upon his elbow, and sent one of his Guards that instant, to dispatch him4. Such was the end of Antipater Herod’s eldest Son, in the year of the world 4001, of J. C. 1, before the vulgar Æra 3. Herod was buried without ceremony in the Castle of Hircanium. Herod died in few days after.
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