Princess Berenice was one of the most significant royal women of the Herodian Dynasty. She was the niece, daughter-in-law, and sister-in-law of King Herod the Great. She was also the daughter of Queen regnant Salome I of Iamnia, Azotus, and Phasaelis. She was the wife of Prince Aristobulus. While her marriage was unhappy, she was the mother of King Herod Agrippa I of Judea and King Herod V of Chalcis. She was the mother of Princess Herodias and the grandmother of Queen Salome, who would be notorious for their roles in the beheading of John the Baptist.
Princess Berenice was born circa 35 B.C.E. She was the daughter of Salome (the sister of King Herod the Great and the future Queen Regnant of Iamnia, Azotus, and Phasaelis). Her father was Kostobar, the Governor of Idumea.[1] Her parents were in an unhappy marriage and often quarrelled.[2] Her mother eventually divorced her father and framed him for treason for conspiring with the Parthians to kill King Herod.[3] King Herod executed Berenice’s father in 25 B.C.E.[4]
In circa 15 B.C.E., King Herod arranged for Berenice to marry his son, Prince Aristobulus, whom he had with Queen Mariamne I.[5] Salome was against the match because Aristobulus was the son of the woman she hated and helped to kill.[6] However, Salome had no choice but to marry her to Prince Aristobulus.[7] The marriage proved to be unhappy.[8] Prince Aristobulus was very proud that he was a descendant of Hasmonean kings.[9] Therefore, he often looked down upon his wife and often insulted her because she came from a commoner family.[10] Princess Berenice complained to her mother about her husband’s mistreatment of her.[11] This gave Prince Aristobulus more cause to dislike her.[12] Despite their unhappy marriage, Princess Berenice bore him five children. They were King Herod Agrippa I of Judea, King Herod V of Chalcis, Princess Herodias (who would be infamous for her role in the beheading of John the Baptist), Princess Mariamne, and Prince Aristobulus. She sent her son, Prince Herod Agrippa I, to be educated in Rome.[13]
In 7 B.C.E., Princess Berenice conspired with Salome to murder Prince Aristobulus.[14] She spied on her husband for any signs of treason.[15] Then, Salome accused both Prince Aristobulus and his brother, Prince Alexander, of treason.[16] King Herod executed them. After the death of Prince Aristobulus, Princess Berenice married Theudion (the brother of King Herod’s first wife, Queen Doris).[17] In 4 B.C.E., Theudion was executed for being a conspirator in Queen Doris’s assassination attempt on King Herod in order to place his nephew, Prince Antipater (the heir apparent), on the throne.[18] Shortly afterwards, Princess Berenice married Archelaus.[19] She remained married to him until her death.[20]
In 4 B.C.E., Princess Berenice and Archelaus accompanied Queen Salome I of Iamnia, Azotus, and Phasaelis to Rome to support Prince Herod Antipas’s claim for the kingship of Judea.[21] However, Prince Herod Antipas (who would later be her son-in-law and would play a major role in the executions of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth) lost his bid for kingship. Princess Berenice decided to stay in Rome with her mother and husband.[22] She raised her children in Rome. She won the respect of Emperor Augustus.[23] She also maintained a friendship with the wife of Drusus, Antonia (the daughter of Mark Antony and Octavia).[24] It was because of Princess Berenice’s friendship with her that Antonia would later pay all of King Herod Agrippa I’s debts that he owed to Emperor Tiberius.[25] Princess Berenice died at an unknown date.[26]
It was through the marriage of Princess Berenice and Prince Aristobulus that both the Hasmonean and the Herodian dynasties still continued and prospered.[27] While their marriage was largely unhappy, two of their sons prospered as client kings under the Roman Empire.[28] Their daughter, Princess Herodias, and granddaughter, Queen Salome, became legendary figures in the Bible.[29] Princess Berenice’s other granddaughter, Queen Julia Berenice, would be renowned for her star-crossed romance with Emperor Titus of Rome.[30] Therefore, Princess Berenice was the mother and grandmother of many famous Herodian royal figures.
Sources:
“Berenice (c. 35 BCE–?)”. (2007). In A. Commire & D. Klezmer (Eds.), Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages (Vol. 1, p. 183). Yorkin Publications.
Gottheil, R. & Broyde I. (1906). “Berenice”. The Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on December 22, 2022 from https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3049-berenice.
Ilan, T. (31 December 1999). “Hasmonean Women.” Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Jewish Women’s Archive. Retrieved on December 20, 2022 from. https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/hasmonean-women.
Ilan, Tal. (31 December 1999). “Salome.” Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Jewish Women’s Archive. Retrieved. on December 22, 2022 from https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/salome.
Macurdy, G. H. (1937). Vassal-queens and Some contemporary Women in the Roman Empire. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press.
Smith, M. H. (n.d.). “Aristobulus (IV) [executed 7 BCE]”. Virtual Religion Network. Retrieved on December 22, 2022 from https://virtualreligion.net/iho/aristob_4.html.
[1] Macurdy, 1937
[2] Macurdy, 1937
[3] Macurdy, 1937; Commire and Klezmer (Eds.), 2007, “Berenice (c. 35 BCE-?)”
[4] Ilan, 31 December 1999, “Salome”; Commire and Klezmer (Eds.), 2007, “Berenice (c. 35 BCE-?)”
[5] Ilan, 31 December 1999, “Salome”
[6] Ilan, 31 December 1999, “Salome”
[7] Ilan, 31 December 1999, “Salome”
[8] Gottheil and Broyde, 1906, “Berenice”
[9] Gottheil and Broyde, 1906, “Berenice”
[10] Gottheil and Broyde, 1906, “Berenice”
[11] Gottheil and Broyde, 1906, “Berenice”
[12] Gottheil and Broyde, 1906, “Berenice”
[13] Commire and Klezmer (Eds.), 2007, “Berenice (c. 35 BCE-?)”
[14] Ilan, 31 December 1999, “Herodian Women”
[15] Ilan, 31 December 1999, “Herodian Women”
[16] Ilan, 31 December 1999, “Salome”
[17] Gottheil and Broyde, 1906, “Berenice”
[18] Gottheil and Broyde, 1906, “Berenice”
[19] Gottheil and Broyde, 1906, “Berenice”
[20] Gottheil and Broyde, 1906, “Berenice”
[21] Gottheil and Broyde, 1906, “Berenice”
[22] Gottheil and Broyde, 1906, “Berenice”
[23] Gottheil and Broyde, 1906, “Berenice”
[24] Gottheil and Broyde, 1906, “Berenice”
[25] Gottheil and Broyde, 1906, “Berenice”
[26] Commire and Klezmer (Eds.), 2007, “Berenice (c. 35 BCE-?)”
[27] Smith, n.d., “Aristobulus (IV) [executed 7 BCE]”
[28] Smith, n.d., “Aristobulus (IV) [executed 7 BCE]”
[29] Macurdy, 1937
[30] Macurdy, 1937
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