Alexander (grandson of Herod the Great)

Alexander, son of Herod the Great and Mariamne I, (c. 35 BCE – c. 7 BCE) was a Hasmonean prince executed by his father. He was the elder of two sons born to Herod and Mariamne I, a Hasmonean princess whom Herod deeply loved but eventually suspected of treason.

Alexander's Hasmonean lineage made him popular among the Jewish population, who still resented Herod's Idumean (Edomite) origins and Roman appointment. This popularity, combined with Mariamne's open contempt for Herod's family and court, fostered an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust within the Herodian household.

Along with his younger brother Aristobulus IV, Alexander was sent to Rome to be educated at the court of Augustus. They returned to Judea in 17 BCE, where their presence was initially seen as a means of strengthening Herod's legitimacy through their Hasmonean heritage. However, the brothers' resentment towards Herod for the execution of their mother, Mariamne I, and their outspoken criticisms of Herod's court, fueled the existing tensions.

Herod became increasingly paranoid about Alexander and Aristobulus, believing they plotted against him to avenge their mother's death and reclaim the Hasmonean throne. This paranoia was exacerbated by Salome, Herod's sister, and other members of the court who actively worked to undermine the brothers and turn Herod against them.

Accusations of treason were leveled against Alexander and Aristobulus. In 12 BCE, Herod accused them before Augustus, but the Roman emperor reconciled them. However, the animosity persisted. In 7 BCE, Herod had Alexander and Aristobulus arrested and accused them of plotting to assassinate him. After a trial held in Sebaste (Samaria), they were found guilty and executed by strangulation. Their deaths further consolidated Herod's power but also contributed to the growing unrest among his subjects. The execution of Alexander and Aristobulus is a significant event in the history of the Herodian dynasty, demonstrating the ruthlessness and paranoia that characterized Herod's reign.