Glaphyra (; ) was an

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

n princess from

Cappadocia Cappadocia (; , from ) is a historical region in Central Anatolia region, Turkey. It is largely in the provinces of Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. Today, the touristic Cappadocia Region is located in Nevşehir ...

,Kasher, ''King Herod: a persecuted persecutor: a case study in psychohistory and psychobiography'', p.298 and a Queen of

Mauretania Mauretania (; ) is the Latin name for a region in the ancient Maghreb. It extended from central present-day Algeria to the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, encompassing northern present-day Morocco, and from the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean in the ...

by her second marriage to King

Juba II Juba II of Mauretania (Latin: ''Gaius Iulius Iuba''; or ;Roller, Duane W. (2003) ''The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene'' "Routledge (UK)". pp. 1–3. . c. 48 BC – AD 23) was the son of Juba I and client king of Numidia (30–25 BC) and ...

of Mauretania. She was related to the

Herodian dynasty The Herodian dynasty was a royal dynasty of Idumaean (Edomite) descent, ruling the Herodian Kingdom of Judea and later the Herodian tetrarchy as a vassal state of the Roman Empire. The Herodian dynasty began with Herod the Great who assumed ...

by her first and third marriage, to Alexander, son of Herod and

Herod Archelaus Herod Archelaus (, ''Hērōidēs Archelaos''; 23 BC – ) was the ethnarch of Samaria, Judea, and Idumea, including the cities Caesarea Maritima, Caesarea and Jaffa, for nine years (). He was the son of Herod the Great and Malthace the ...

, respectively.''Jewish Women: a comprehensive historical encyclopedia'' Jewish Women's Archive – Herodian Women

Family and early life

Glaphyra was a royal princess of

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

and

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

n descent. Her father was the Roman ally king

Archelaus of Cappadocia Archelaus (; fl. 1st century BC and 1st century, died 17 AD) was a Roman client prince and the last king of Cappadocia. He was also husband of Pythodorida, Queen regnant of Pontus. Family and early life Archelaus was a Cappadocian Greek no ...

, and her only natural sibling was her younger brother

Archelaus of Cilicia Archelaus (; born before 8 BC; died 38 AD) was a Cappadocian princeTacitus, Annals, 6.41 and a Roman client king of Cilicia Trachea and Eastern Lycaonia.Levick, ''Tiberius the Politician'', p.110 He is sometimes called ''Archelaus Minor'' (''Minor ...

. Her paternal grandfather was a Roman ally and priest-king Archelaus of the temple state of Comana, Cappadocia, while her paternal grandmother, for whom she was named, was the ''

hetaera A (; , ; . , ), Romanization of Greek, Latinized as ( ), was a type of highly educated female companion in ancient Greece who served as an artist, entertainer, and conversationalist. Historians have often classed them as courtesans, but th ...

'' Glaphyra. The priest-kings of Comana were descended from Archelaus, the favorite high-ranking general of

Mithridates VI of Pontus Mithridates or Mithradates VI Eupator (; 135–63 BC) was the ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus in northern Anatolia from 120 to 63 BC, and one of the Roman Republic's most formidable and determined opponents. He was an effective, ambitious, and r ...

, who may have married a daughter of Mithridates VI.Mayor, ''The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome's deadliest enemy'' pp.114, 138 Glaphyra's mother, the first wife of Archelaus, was an Armenian princess whose name is unknown and who died by 8 BC.Syme, ''Anatolica: studies in Strabo'' p.150 She may have been a daughter of King

Artavasdes II of Armenia Artavasdes II ( ), also known as Artavazd II, was king of Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity), Armenia from 55 BC to 34 BC. A member of the Artaxiad dynasty, he was the son and successor of Tigranes the Great (), who ascended the throne of a still power ...

, son of

Tigranes the Great Tigranes II, more commonly known as Tigranes the Great (''Tigran Mets'' in Armenian language, Armenian; 140–55 BC), was a king of Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity), Armenia. A member of the Artaxiad dynasty, he ruled from 95 BC to 55 BC. Under hi ...

and

Cleopatra of Pontus Cleopatra of Pontus (Ancient Greek: Κλεοπάτρα; 110 BC – after 58 BC) was a Pontian princess and a queen consort of Armenia. She was one of the daughters of King Mithridates VI of Pontus and Queen Laodice. Cleopatra is sometimes k ...

, a daughter of Mithridates VI from his first wife his sister Laodice. If so, Glaphyra's parents may have been distant relatives. She was born and raised in Cappadocia. In 25 BC, the Emperor

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

gave Archelaus extra territories to govern, including the port of

Elaiussa Sebaste Elaiussa Sebaste or Elaeousa Sebaste () was an ancient Roman town located from Mersin in the direction of Silifke in Cilicia on the southern coast of Anatolia (in the modern-day town of Ayaş, Erdemli District in Turkey). Elaiussa (Ελαιού ...

, which Archelaus renamed in honor of Augustus. The royal family settled there, and Archelaus built a royal residence and a palace on the island in the harbor. Glaphyra held the high-ranking title of 'king's daughter', which is reflective of her descent and high birth. She was an attractive and dynamic woman, reputed charming, desirable and a force to be reckoned with.Salisbury, ''Women in the ancient world'', p.137

First marriage

Augustus encouraged intermarriage among the families of Roman ally kings. King

Herod the Great Herod I or Herod the Great () was a History of the Jews in the Roman Empire, Roman Jewish client king of the Herodian kingdom of Judea. He is known for his colossal building projects throughout Judea. Among these works are the rebuilding of the ...

of Judaea usually married his children to relatives or to his subjects. However, Herod wanted his son

Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...

to marry a foreign princess. Herod negotiated a marriage alliance with Archelaus. Either in 18 or 17 BC, in Herod's court in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

, Glaphyra married Alexander. Archelaus provided Glaphyra with a dowry, which Herod later returned to her. The union of Alexander and Glaphyra is described as happy. Glaphyra became a Jew upon her marriage and she did adopt

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

even though no mention of conversion was made in the account of her first marriage. Glaphyra and Alexander had three children: two sons,

Tigranes Tigranes (, ) is the Greek rendering of the Old Iranian name ''*Tigrāna''. This was the name of a number of historical figures, primarily kings of Armenia. The name of Tigranes, which was theophoric in nature, was uncommon during the Achae ...

and

, and an unnamed daughter. The names of Glaphyra and Alexander's children reflect their cultural ancestry and royal descent. At the court of Jerusalem, Glaphyra made a nuisance of herself by genealogical pretentiousness, citing her paternal descent from the kings of

Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...

, and her maternal descent from the rulers of Persia. She taunted

Salome Salome (; , related to , "peace"; ), also known as Salome III, was a Jews, Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II and princess Herodias. She was granddaughter of Herod the Great and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. She is known from the New T ...

and Herod's wives about their low birth. Glaphyra sneered at Salome's daughter

Berenice Berenice (, ''Bereníkē'') is the Ancient Macedonian form of the Attic Greek name ''Pherenikē'', which means "bearer of victory" . Berenika, priestess of Demeter in Lete ca. 350 BC, is the oldest epigraphical evidence. The Latin variant Veron ...

, regarding her 'with indignation', though they were of equal rank. Her attitude caused Berenice's husband, prince

Aristobulus IV Aristobulus IV (31–7 BC) was a prince of Judea from the Herodian dynasty, and was married to his cousin, Berenice (daughter of Salome), Berenice, daughter of Costobarus and Salome I. He was the son of Herod the Great and his second wife, Mariamn ...

to describe Berenice as a commoner, a 'woman of the people'. Salome in turn spread a rumor that Herod was "smitten with love for Glaphyra and that his passion was difficult to assuage". This angered Glaphyra's husband Alexander and alienated him from his father.Gillman, ''Herodias: at home in that fox's den'' p.2 The women in Herod's court grew to hate Glaphyra and Alexander. Glaphyra's unpopularity led to rumors about Alexander and Aristobulus IV. Herod came to believe that they were plotting against him. With Augustus' permission, Herod executed Alexander and Aristobulus in 7 BC. Herod also questioned Glaphyra to confirm her loyalty to him. Herod then sent Glaphyra back to Cappadocia, but kept custody of her children. The return of Glaphyra didn't rupture the friendly relations between the two client kingdoms.

Life after Alexander and second marriage

Herod died in 4 BC in

Jericho Jericho ( ; , ) is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, and the capital of the Jericho Governorate. Jericho is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It had a population of 20,907 in 2017. F ...

. After the death of Herod, Glaphyra's children came to live in Cappadocia with her. They renounced Judaism and embraced their Greek heritage, including the religion, but their family connections with the Herodian Dynasty were not wholly broken. In 2 BC-2 AD, the Roman ally king

toured the

Eastern Mediterranean The Eastern Mediterranean is a loosely delimited region comprising the easternmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea, and well as the adjoining land—often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea. It includes the southern half of Turkey ...

with Augustus' grandson

Gaius Caesar Gaius Caesar (20 BC – 21 February 4 AD) was a grandson and heir to the throne of Roman emperor Augustus, alongside his younger brother Lucius Caesar. Although he was born to Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder, Julia, Augustus' only ...

. During this trip Juba II met Glaphyra.Ptolemaic Genealogy, Cleopatra Selene II, point8
They were married prior to 6 AD. Juba II's previous consort,

Cleopatra Selene II Cleopatra Selene II (Ancient Greek, Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Σελήνη; summer 40 BC – BC; the numeration is modern) was a Ptolemaic dynasty, Ptolemaic princess, nominal Queen of Cyrenaica (34 BC – 30 BC) and Queen of Mauretania (25 BC ...

, presumably died prior to 6 AD. (Some coins of Cleopatra Selene II have been dated to 17 AD, suggesting she was still alive then; though it is unlikely that the Romanized Juba II would have made a polygamous marriage, his father ''was'' polygamous.) Glaphyra thus became Queen of Mauretania. Her marriage to Juba II was apparently brief: there is no trace of her name in North African inscriptions. However, an inscription referring to her was made in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

. :Ή βουλή καί � δ�μος ��σίλισσαν �λαφύρανβασιλέω �Άρχελάου θυγ �τέρα βασιλέως Ίόβ �γυναίκ � άρε�ής έν ��α. :The Boule and

Demos Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * Plural for Demo (computer programming ...

Queen Glaphyra daughter of King Archelaus and wife of King Juba on account of virtue.

Third marriage

During her second marriage, she became reacquainted with

(half-brother of her first husband, and now the Roman

Ethnarch Ethnarch (pronounced , also ethnarches, ) is a term that refers generally to political leadership over a common ethnic group or homogeneous kingdom. The word is derived from the Greek language, Greek words (''Ethnic group, ethnos'', "tribe/nation ...

Samaria Samaria (), the Hellenized form of the Hebrew name Shomron (), is used as a historical and Hebrew Bible, biblical name for the central region of the Land of Israel. It is bordered by Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. The region is ...

Judaea Judea or Judaea (; ; , ; ) is a mountainous region of the Levant. Traditionally dominated by the city of Jerusalem, it is now part of Palestine and Israel. The name's usage is historic, having been used in antiquity and still into the prese ...

and

Edom Edom (; Edomite language, Edomite: ; , lit.: "red"; Akkadian language, Akkadian: , ; Egyptian language, Ancient Egyptian: ) was an ancient kingdom that stretched across areas in the south of present-day Jordan and Israel. Edom and the Edomi ...

). He was the son of

and his fourth wife

Malthace Malthace () was a Samaritan woman who lived in the latter half of the 1st century BC. She was one of the wives of Herod the Great and the mother by Herod of Herod Antipas, Archelaus, and a daughter, Olympias. She died in 4 BC at Rome, while he ...

. They fell in love with each other and determined to marry. For them to marry, Glaphyra divorced Juba II and Herod Archelaus divorced his first wife, his cousin Mariamne.Gillman, ''Herodias: at home in that fox's den'' p.46 Glaphyra and Herod Archelaus were married while Herod Archelaus was Ethnarch. The marriage of a widow to her former brother-in-law violated Jewish laws of

levirate marriage Levirate marriage is a type of marriage in which the brother of a deceased man is obliged to marry his brother's widow. Levirate marriage has been practiced by societies with a strong clan structure in which exogamous marriage (i.e. marriage o ...

. It was considered immoral by the Jews and caused a major religious scandal in Judaea. The marriage of Glaphyra and Herod Archelaus did not have a happy ending. Shortly after the wedding, Glaphyra allegedly dreamed that her first husband stood at her side and reproached her for not being faithful to him. She had not only made a second marriage but had even come back and married her brother-in-law. In the dream, Alexander said to Glaphyra he would now reclaim her as his own. She told her friends of the dream and died two days later. About the time of Glaphyra's death, Augustus removed Herod Archelaus as Ethnarch because of his cruelty, and banished him to Vienne in

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

. It is uncertain if Glaphyra died before or during his exile. Her death reputedly gratified the women of the Judaean court.Temporini, ''Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt: Geschichte und Kultur Roms im Spiegel der neueren Forschung'' p.1166

References

Sources

* {{usurped,
Ancient History Articles
}
Jewish Women a comprehensive historical encyclopedia: Jewish Women's Archive – Herodian Women

Eisenman's "New Testament Code", Chapter 4

''Marriage and Divorce in the Herodian Family: A Case Study of Diversity in Late Second Temple Judaism'' Ingrid Johanne Moen, Department of Religion, Duke University
* Millar, Fergus; Schürer, Emil; Vermes, Geza. ''The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (175 B.C. - A.D. 135)'', Continuum International Publishing Group, 1973 * Temporini, H.; Haase, W. ''Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt: Geschichte und Kultur Roms im Spiegel der neueren Forschung'', Walter de Gruyter, 1980 * Syme, R.; Birley, A. R. ''Anatolica: studies in Strabo'', Oxford University Press, 1995 * Rigsby, K. J. ''Asylia: territorial inviolability in the Hellenistic world'', University of California Press, 1996 * Salisbury, J. E. ''Women in the ancient world'', ABC-CLIO, 2001 * Sandler, S. ''Ground warfare: an international encyclopedia'', Volume 1, ABC-CLIO, 2002 * Gillman. F. M. ''Herodias: at home in that fox's den'', Liturgical Press, 2003 * Dueck, D.; Lindsay, H.; Pothecary, S. ''Strabo's cultural geography: the making of a kolossourgia'', Cambridge University Press, 2005 * Kasher, A.; Witztum, E. ''King Herod: a persecuted persecutor: a case study in psychohistory and psychobiography'', Walter de Gruyter, 2007 * Mayor, A. ''The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome's deadliest enemy'', Princeton University Press, 2009 1st-century BC women 1st-century women 1st-century people Herodian dynasty AD 7 deaths Ancient Anatolian Greeks Cappadocia (Roman province) People from Roman Anatolia Ancient Cappadocia Ancient princesses 30s BC births Ancient Armenian people Ancient Jewish women Ancient queens consort Remarried queens consort Herod Archelaus Daughters of kings Ancient Anatolian Greek women Cappadocian Greeks Mothers of monarchs