I. ARCHELAUS, King of Cappadocia, the Father of Glaphyra the Wife of Alexander Son to Herod the Great. Archelaus was a wise and judicious Prince, who having learned how ill disposed Herod was to Alexander his Son-in-law, came to Jerusalem1, seemed at first to espouse Herod’s passion, declared to him that he was ready to break off the marriage of his Daughter with Alexander, condemned extremely the conduct of this young Prince, and commended that of Herod; then when he saw the King softned, he began dexterously to lay the faults which Alexander was accused of, upon those who were about him; and Pheroras Herod’s Brother being come to visit Archelaus, and to desire him to make his peace with his Brother, Archelaus engaged him to confess to Herod, that he was the cause of all the trouble that was in his family, and to beg his pardon for it; and that then he, Archelaus, would join with him, in order to restore him to the King’s good graces. Pheroras believed him, and Archelaus by his prudence re-established peace in Herod’s Court, and reconciled him with his Sons Alexander and Aristobulus, and with Pheroras his Brother.
Some time after Alexander having been accused to Herod of designing to retire with his Wife to his Father-in-law Archelaus, and having owned the thing, Herod conceived great suspicions against Archelaus, and in the last Assembly convened by him at Berytus, where the death of Alexander and Aristobulus was determined, he would not suffer Archelaus to be present, tho’ the Emperor Augustus had expresly appointed that he should, in the letter which he wrote to Herod upon this occasion2.
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