Herodian dynasty

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 38. Chapters: Herod the Great, Berenice, Agrippa II, Herod Antipas, Salome, Glaphyra, Herodias, Tigranes V of Armenia, Mariamne, Judaea Coin Archive, Alexander, Herod Archelaus, Antipater the Idumaean, Herodian architecture, Drusilla, Gaius Julius Alexander Berenicianus, Polemon II of Pontus, Philip the Tetrarch, Herod II, Alexander, son of Herod, Tigranes VI of Armenia, Phasael, Julia, Aristobulus Minor, Aristobulus of Chalcis, Aristobulus IV, Herod of Chalcis, Cleopatra of Jerusalem, Mariamne III, Salome I, Costobarus, Olympias, Salampsio, Malthace. Excerpt: Herod (Hebrew: ¿, Hordos, Greek: , Heroides), also known as Herod I or Herod the Great (born 73 or 74 BCE, died 4 BCE in Jericho), was a Roman client king of Judea. His surname of "the Great" is widely disputed as he is described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis." He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including his expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem (sometimes referred to as Herod's Temple) and the construction of the port at Caesarea Maritima. Important details of his biography are gleaned from the works of the 1st century CE Roman-Jewish historian Josephus Flavius. The Romans made Herod's son Herod Archelaus ethnarch of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea (biblical Edom) from 4 BCE to 6 CE, referred to as the tetrarchy of Judea. Herod's other son Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee from 4 BCE - 39 CE. Archelaus was judged incompetent by the Roman emperor Augustus who then combined Samaria, Judea proper and Idumea into Iudaea province under rule of a prefect until 41. Copper coin of Herod, bearing the legend "¿¿S¿¿¿OS ¿¿O¿¿¿" ("Basileos Herodou") on the obverseHerod was born around 74 BCE in the south (Idumea was the most southern region). He was the second son of Antipater the Idumaean, a high-ranked official under Ethnarch Hyrcanus II, and Cypros, a Nabatean. Herod was a practicing Jew, as the Edomites and many Nabateans had been converted to Judaism by the Hasmoneans. A loyal supporter of Hyrcanus II, Antipater appointed Herod governor of Galilee at 25, and his elder brother, Phasael, governor of Jerusalem. He enjoyed the backing of Rome but his excessive brutality was condemned by the Sanhedrin. In 43 BCE, following the chaos caused by Antipater offering financial support to Caesar's murderers, Antipater was poisoned. Herod, backed by the Roman Army, executed his father's murderer. After the battle of Philippi towards the end of 42 BCE, he convinced Mark Antony and Octavian that his fat