A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Mariamne
Her husband having been beheaded by the command of Pompey, we hear nothing of Alexandra till the time of Herod being betrothed to her daughter, when it appeared that he put much confidence in her wisdom, and in many instances was guided by her judgement and penetration. Herod had been made tetrarch by Mark Antony, and when the Parthians had joined Antigonus the younger son of the last king, who had also assumed that title, Herod went to Rome with his family, intending to ask the sovereign authority for his wife's brother, who was of the royal blood; but, through the friendship of Antony, it was bestowed upon himself, who was descended from the Idumean proselytes, and not from the original stock of the Jews. As soon as he was settled in his kingdom, he married Mariamne, yet very young and of great beauty. The Parthians had taken Hyrcanus prisoner, and to disqualify him from officiating again as high-priest, cut off his ears; and, though he afterwards returned from captivity, it was needful another should be elected; but Herod, jealous of the claims of the family, appointed an absent person to this high dignity. Alexandra, seeing her son again disappointed of the honours his birth seemed to promise him, laid it much to heart, and wrote a letter to Cleopatra, desiring her intercession with Antony, that this new appointment might be set aside. Cleopatra seemed warmly to espouse her interest; Antony, who had been won by Herod's gifts, was slow in granting her requests; but the fear of what it might lead to, and the entreaties of Mariamne, at length persuaded Herod to a seeming compliance. He knew, if once made high-priest, this young man, whose beauty and dignified appearance won much upon the people, could not leave the country. He therefore displaced the one he had appointed, to invest Aristobulus with that office; and Alexandra made the best excuse she could for the steps she had taken, though she was not without her suspicions that all was not right. Jealous of her attempting new innovations, Herod commanded that she should dwell in the palace, and meddle no more with public affairs. He likewise placed spies around her, till she became impatient under these hardships, began thoroughly to hate him, wishing rather to undergo any thing than be deprived of the liberty of speech, and, under the notion of an honorary guard, to live always in a state of terror and constraint. She, therefore, again applied to Cleopatra, who advised her to flee with her son into Egypt. In order to do this, Alexandra had two coffins made, and directed some of her servants to carry them away in the night-time out of the city, in order to convey them to Egypt. But through the indiscretion of one of them the plan came to the ears of Herod, who suffered her to proceed in the plan that he might catch her in it. Yet still, fearful of the hatred of Cleopatra, who wished for his dominions, he dared not punish her as he desired, but made a show of generosity, and soon after contrived to have her son drowned, as it were by accident.—But Alexandra was not to be so deceived, her despair was so violent that the hopes of revenge alone prevented her laying violent hands upon herself, and in this hope she smothered the dark suspicions of her bosom. A magnificent funeral was prepared by Herod, who affected the most poignant sorrow; and when he saw the lifeless body of this beautiful young person, scarce eighteen years of age, he might in reality feel somethings like remorse. Alexandra again wrote to Cleopatra, who now urged Antony so warmly to revenge this young man's murder, that he summoned Herod to appear before him, and answer to the charge. Fancying that Antony was in love with his wife, from the reports he had formerly heard of her beauty, he left the kingdom in the care of his uncle Joseph; desiring, if any thing fatal happened to him, that he would immediately put her to death. This imprudent man, whose situation made him frequently about the queen, often talked to her of the great love her husband bore towards her, and when she or Alexandra turned his discourse into raillery, he mentioned the charge he had received, as a proof that he could not bear even the separation of death. They, however, thought very differently of the matter. The mother and sister of Herod hated Mariamne, who, proud of the superiority of her own birth, treated them frequently with disdain; so that on his return from Antony, whom he had rendered as usual favourable by presents, they accused her of improper familiarity with his uncle. The defence of Mariamne, however, pacified the king, and he made an apology for having believed aught against her, acknowledged her merit, and they were completely reconciled; till, proceeding in assurances of his confidence and love, Mariamne, recollecting this order, reproached Herod with it, who now, confirmed that the accusations were true or his uncle would not have betrayed him, in the agony of his mind, was near destroying her; but immediately caused Joseph to be slain, and her mother to be kept in close confinement, accusing her as the cause of all. His mind, however, afterwards became tranquil, and love was re-established between them—till fresh injuries roused a greater degree of hatred against him, in her bosom. Her grandfather, Hyrcanus, out of his partiality to his native country, wished to return there, daily since the marriage of Herod insured, as he supposed, his protection. He, therefore, came to Jerusalem; and being of a mild nature, interfered not in the government; but Herod, suspecting that Alexandra would urge him to recover his right, accused him of having invited over the Arabians by letter for that purpose, and caused him to be put to death. As soon as this was done, he prepared himself to attend the award of Augustus, who had lately defeated Antony at Actium. Having little to expect from his friendship, and fearing Alexandra might cause an insurrection in the kingdom, he caused her and his wife to be separated from the rest of his family, and placed under the care of his treasurer and Sohemus, at Alexandrium, a strong fortress.—They had always been faithful to him; and he commanded them, if any mischief should befal him, to destroy them both—and, as far as they were able, secure the kingdom to his sons and brother.
Remembering his former behaviour, Mariamne and her mother were suspicious in the present instance; and by paying all possible court to their keepers, especially Sohemus, by presents and promises, they prevailed upon him to reveal the secret of his commands as there was little probability of Herod's safe return. Contrary, however, to expectation, he made his peace with Caesar, and returned triumphant; bat Mariamne, feeling no security for her life while united to him, and the highest disdain of that love she considered as so hypocritical, did not attempt to conceal her resentment, although she did not declare the cause. She appeared rather distressed than rejoiced at his good fortune, and returned his caresses with a deep groan. Furious at the hatred he saw she bore towards him, he would instantly have comnrianded her to be put to death, but that he felt it would be a heavier punishment on himself than on her. Thus he sometimes upbraided, sometimes reconciled himself to her; while his mother and sister were perpetually calumniating her, and telling him falsehoods to excite his jealousy and dislike; but his love still conquered his resentment, for more than a year after a second visit to Augustus. But Mariamne, proud of her birth, indignant at her wrongs, considered not the power of her tyrant, nor the effects of the malice provoked by her pride in his kindred. She once reproached him for the murther of her brother and her grandfather; and his sister, Salome, took this opportunity of sending in his cup-bearer to accuse Mariamne of asking his assistance to give the king a love potion, by which, he insinuated, she meant to poison him. Her favourite domestics were put to the torture, who only said the hatred of their mistress for the king was occasioned by something Sohemus had told her. Herod gave orders that Sohemus should be seized and slain immediately; but allowed his wife to take her trial. The judges, understanding his will, passed sentence of death upon her; but were of opinion that this sentence should not be executed immediately, and that she should be put to prison; but Salome and her party, having once caught their enemy in the toils, advised the king to put her to death, lest the populace should interfere.
Accordingly the beautiful and high spirited Mariamne, of whom and of her brother the heathens had formerly observed, they appeared more like the children of gods than men, was led to execution. Her mother, who was accounted the shrewdest woman in the world, and who appears to have had that low cunning which stoops to all expedients for interest, fearful for her own life, changed her behaviour, and reproached her as she went. The hapless Mariamne made no answer, nor discovered any discomposure at her behaviour, though ashamed of the dissimulation she shewed. Wearied out with the world, in which she found none to respect or feel affection for, she met her fate with unshaken resolution, and without even changing colour. After her death, despair and madness seized the king; but the remains of his former love did not save her children, who, when they came to men's estate, fell a sacrifice as their mother had done, to their own indiscretion, and the malice and calumnies of their enemies.
Alexandra did not survive her daughter. Hearing of the bad state of Herod's health, she tampered with the governors of the fortified places round Jerusalem, to deliver them into her hands; was betrayed to Herod, and slain by his order.