Herodian Kingdom of Judaea | ||||||||||
Client State of the Roman Republic | ||||||||||
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Judaea under Herod the Great
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Capital | Jerusalem | |||||||||
Languages | Koine Greek, Aramaic, Latin, Hebrew | |||||||||
Religion | Imperial Cult, Second Temple Judaism | |||||||||
Government | ||||||||||
King | ||||||||||
• | 37 BCE - 4 BCE | Herod the Great | ||||||||
Historical era | Augustan Age | |||||||||
• | conquest of Hasmonean kingdom | 37 BCE | ||||||||
• | formation of Tetrarchy (Judea) | 4 BCE | ||||||||
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Today part of |
Israel Lebanon Jordan Syria |
The Herodian kingdom of Judaea was a client state of the Roman Republic from 37 BCE, when Herod the Great was appointed "King of the Jews" by the Roman Senate. When Herod died in 4 BCE, the kingdom was divided among his sons into the Herodian Tetrarchy.
The first intervention of Rome in the region dates from 63 BCE, following the end of the Third Mithridatic War, when Rome created the province of Syria. After the defeat of Mithridates VI of Pontus, Pompey (Pompey the Great) sacked Jerusalem in 63 BCE. The Hasmonean Queen, Salome Alexandra, had recently died and her sons, Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II, turned against each other in a civil war. In 63 BCE, Aristobulus was besieged in Jerusalem by his brother's armies. He sent an envoy to Marcus Aemilius Scaurus, Pompey's representative in the area. Aristobulus offered a massive bribe to be rescued, which Pompey promptly accepted. Afterwards, Aristobulus accused Scaurus of extortion. Since Scaurus was Pompey's brother in law and protégée, the general retaliated by putting Hyrcanus in charge of the kingdom as Prince and High Priest.