Herodian Political Office
&
Political Patronage

K. C. Hanson

The following members of the Herodian family held political office. The information is based on the writings of Josephus, the New Testament, and Roman sources. Some of the patrons listed are specifically mentioned in the ancient sources and others are implied.
NAMES & DATES .	TITLE/S .	REGION/S .	PATRON/S .	DEATH .
Antipas ?–? BCE (Herod's grandfather)	stratêgos	Idumea	Alexander Janneus	?
Antipater ?–43 BCE (Herod's father)	epimeletês 48–43 BCE & epitropos	Palestine	Gabinus Julius Caesar Hyrcannus I	poisoned by Malichus
Joseph c. 75–35 BCE (Herod's brother)	stratêgos 43–35 BCE	Idumea & Gaza	Mark Antony	executed by Herod
Phasaelus 75–40 BCE (Herod's brother)	stratêgos 46 BCE	Judea & Samaria	Mark Antony	suicide
Herod the Great 73–4 BCE	stratêgos 46–43 BCE tetrachês 43–40 BCE basileus 38–4 BCE	Coele-Syria Galilee & Perea Palestine	Sextus Mark Antony Augustus & Livia	illness
Salome c. 68 BCE—10 CE (Herod's sister)	despoina 4–10 CE	Jamnia, Azotus, & Phasaelis	Augustus & Livia	old age
Pheroras c. 68–5 BCE (Herod's brother)	tetrarchês 20–5 BCE	Perea	Herod & Augustus	illness
Archelaus c. 45 BCE—18 CE (Herod's son)	ethnarchês 4 BCE—6 CE	Judea (including Samaria and Idumea)	Augustus	exiled to Gaul (6 CE)
(Herod) Antipas 20 BCE—40? CE (Herod's son)	tetrarchês 4 BCE—39 CE	Galilee & Perea	Augustus Tiberius	exiled to Gaul (39 CE)
(Herod) Philip ? BCE—34 CE (Herod's son)	tetrarchês 4 BCE—34 CE	northern territories	Augustus Tiberius	old age
Tigranes V [Dikran] ?–36 CE (Herod's grandson)	basileus 15–36 CE	Greater Armenia	Augustus Tiberius	executed by Tiberius
Herod of Chalcis ? BCE—49 CE	ethnarchês 41–48 CE	Chalcis	Claudius	?
Herod Agrippa I 10 BCE—44CE	tetrarchês 39–41 CE basileus 41–44 CE	Galilee & Perea Palestine	Caligula Claudius	illness
(Marcus Julius) Herod Agrippa II 27–92 CE	basileus 49–53 CE	Chalcis, Galilee & Perea	Claudius Nero Vespasian Titus	old age?
Aristobulus of Chalcis ?–92 CE	basileus 53–92 CE	Armenia minor 53–72 Chalcis 72–92 CE	Nero Vespasian	old age?
Tigranes VI [Dikran] 25?–68? CE	basileus 58–63 CE	Greater Armenia	Domitus Corbulo Nero	?
Gaius Julius Alexander c. 45–110	ethnarchês, 58–72 CE Consul of Rome c. 108 CE	Cetis Rome	Vespasian Trajan	?
Gaius Julius Agrippa Julianus c. 72–150	Propraetorian Quaestor c. 105 CE	Asia	Trajan	?
Gaius Julius Alexander Berenianicus c. 75–150	Roman senator, 94– CE Suffect Consul of Rome, c. 116 CE Proconsul of Asia, 132–133 CE	Rome	Trajan	?
DEFINITIONS: Basileus: a client-king Consul: one of the two chief magistrates and primary admistrators in Rome for two or four months; the year was named for the ordinary consul; but if the consul died in office, a interim consul (suffect consul) was voted in to replace the ordinary Despoina: the feminine form of despotês "ruler" Epimeletês: one of the many terms for governor Epitropos: one of the many terms for governor Ethnarchês: literally "a ruler of a people," it was a term for a ruler with less status and power than a client-king Proconsul: a Roman governor who was appointed over a province for one year Propraetorian Quaester: a Roman adminstrator who acted on behalf of a Praetor Stratêgos: originally it referred to a general, but came to be used for a governor Tetrachês: a regional ruler with less power and status than a client-king or ethnarch

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
Braund, David C. "Herodian Dynasty." In Anchor Bible Dictionary 3:173–74. Ed. D. N. Freedman. New York: Doubleday, 1992. Goodman, Martin. The Ruling Class of Judaea: The Origins of the Jewish Revolt against Rome A.D. 66–70. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1987. Hanson, K. C. and Douglas E. Oakman. Palestine in the Time of Jesus: Social Structures and Social Conflicts. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1998. Levine, Lee I. "Herod the Great." In Anchor Bible Dictionary 3:161–69. Ed. D. N. Freedman. New York: Doubleday, 1992. Richardson, Peter. Herod: King of the Jews and Friend of the Romans. Personalities of the New Testament. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1998. Schürer, Emil. The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ. 3 vols. Revised and edited by G. Vermes, F. Millar, and M. Black. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1973–87. Smallwood, E. Mary. The Jews Under Roman Rule from Pompey to Diocletian: A Study in Political Relations. 2nd ed. Studies in Judaism in Late Antiqutiy 20. Leiden: Brill, 1980. Sullivan, R. D. "The Dynasty of Judaea in the First Century." In Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt II.8, 296–354. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1977.

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Last Modified: 10 August 2015