Mariamne (I)

I. MARIAMNE. Daughter of Alexander, Son of King Aristobulus, and of Alexandra, Daughter of Hyrcanus High-Priest of the Jews, was the finest Princess of her Age. She married Herod the Great¹, by whom she had two Sons Alexander and Aristobulus, and two Daughters, Salampso and Cypros; and besides these a Son called Herod, that died young, during his Studies at Rome. We have already given the History of Mariamne, under the Articles of Herod the Great, Alexander her Son, and Alexandra her Mother. We shall but just touch upon it here, by Way of Abridgment. Herod had an excessive Fondness for Mariamne, but she made but small Returns to his Passion. Nay, she began to hate him, after he had put to Death Aristobulus her Brother, to whom he had given the High-Priesthood but a Year before². Mariamne shewed her Aversion to him openly enough, but overcome by his Passion for her, he could never resolve upon parting with her.

After the Victory that Augustus obtained over Marc Anthony³, Herod who had always been of Antony’s Party, and who had sent Succours to him against Augustus, was forced to have Recourse to Augustus’s Clemency. When he left Jerusalem, he gave secret Orders to Josephus and Sohemus, whom he left to govern in his Absence, that if they should hear of any Misfortune to befal him in his Journey, they should put Mariamne to Death, and her Mother Alexandra⁴. Mariamne having cunningly got this Secret out of Sohemus, conceived an implacable Hatred against Herod; and at his Return, instead of answering his Caresses, she repelled him from her, and reproached him with his Inhumanity. At length she became so importunate, that Herod could no longer bear with her Contempt; being otherwise exasperated by the ill Reports that were made continually of Mariamne, and by the Accusations of Salome, Herod’s Sister, and sworn Enemy of Mariamne, who suborned a Cupbearer of the Kings to depose, that Mariamne had solicited him to give a Potion to the King, on Pretence to make her be more beloved by him.

Herod having put one of Mariamne’s Eunuchs to the Torture, whom he knew to be very faithful to her; could get nothing out of him as to the Potion or Poison; but overcome by the Force of the Torture he confessed, that his Mistress’s Hatred for the King proceeded only from what she had learned from Sohemus. Then Herod being in a Rage, and believing that Mariamne could never have got this Secret out of Sohemus, if there had not been other Correspondence between them, immediately caused Sohemus to be seized, and led away to Punishment. After this he called his Friends together, and accused the Queen to them in such bitter Terms, that they easily perceived he desired to have her condemned to Death. This therefore they did unanimously, and Mariamne⁵ walked to her Execution with such an Air of Grandeur and Intrepidity, as astonished all that saw her⁶. After her Death Herod’s Affection for her renewed again, and became stronger than ever. Often he called her by her Name, as if she was still living. He bewailed her in a Manner little agreeing to his high Station, and whatever he did to endeavour to divert himself, he could never get her out of his Mind. He was even compelled to relinquish the Care of his Affairs, and delivered himself up so to his Grief, that sometimes he ordered his Attendants to call Mariamne, as if she had been still alive. Josephus⁷ mentions a Tower that Herod built in Jerusalem, to which he gave the Name of Mariamne. ‘Twas the finest and best adorned of all that he built. It was fifty five Cubits high, and had a square Base of twenty Cubits wide.

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