42 Facts About Herod Agrippa

Herod Agrippa was a grandson of Herod the Great and the father of Herod Agrippa II, the last known king from the Herodian dynasty.

Herod Agrippa was an acquaintance or friend of Roman emperors and played crucial roles in internal Roman politics.

Herod Agrippa spent his childhood and youth at the imperial court in Rome where he befriended the imperial princes Claudius and Drusus.

Herod Agrippa suffered a period of disgrace following the death of Drusus which forced him to return to live in Judea.

Back in Rome around 35, Tiberius made him the guardian of his grandson Tiberius Gemellus, and Agrippa approached the other designated heir, Caligula.

Herod Agrippa is traditionally identified as the king simply named Herod whose death is recounted in Acts 12.

Herod Agrippa I was born in Caesarea Maritima around 11 BC.

Herod Agrippa was the son of Aristobulus IV, one of the children that Herod the Great had with Mariamne the Hasmonean.

Herod Agrippa's mother was Berenice, daughter of Salome, daughter of Antipater and sister of Herod the Great.

Herod Agrippa the Great, a ruler perceived as a ruthless usurper by his subjects, was a devoted supporter of the Roman Empire and promoted its cause throughout his kingdom.

Herod Agrippa's reign was characterized by violence and numerous family intrigues as he had 10 wives.

In 29 BC, Herod executed his wife Mariamne, Agrippa I's grandmother, out of jealousy.

In 7 BC, when Agrippa I was just three or four years old, Herod had Agrippa I's father Aristobulus IV and uncle Alexander executed following more palace intrigues.

Herod Agrippa was responsible for the deaths of numerous members of the Hasmonean dynasty and its supporters, almost wiping them out entirely.

Herod Agrippa was supported there by his mother's friend Antonia Minor as well as by Empress Livia, who was the friend of his grandmother.

At that time, Herod Agrippa I's future appeared to be secured by his privileged relationship with Claudius and Drusus.

Herod Agrippa I squandered the rest of his fortune trying to win the favor of the freedmen of Tiberius, and he hastily left Rome for the province of Judaea.

Herod Agrippa I accepted at first, but he soon gave the impression of not being satisfied with what was given to him.

Herod Agrippa quickly found this burden boring in a small provincial town devoid of the amenities of the Roman civilization which he had become accustomed.

Herod Agrippa quarreled with Antipas during a banquet in Tyre and then went to Syria, of which his friend Lucius Pomponius Flaccus was the legate.

Herod Agrippa I borrowed the sum of 20,000 drachmas to embark at Anthedon for Alexandria, after having been reminded by the Roman governor of Yavne, Herennius Capiton, for the debts contracted vis-a-vis the treasury of the empire.

Herod Agrippa granted him, in addition to the title of king and the diadem which was its sign, the territories of Philip, who had died shortly before, tetrarch of Iturea, Trachonitis, Batanea, Gaulanitis, Auranitis and Paneas, located northeast of the lake of Tiberias.

Herod Agrippa I showed no eagerness to take charge of the affairs of his kingdom, and it was only in the summer of 38 that he went to Batanea for a short stay.

In 36, the armies of two kings who were clients of the Romans, Aretas IV and Herod Agrippa Antipas, clashed around the territory of Gamla, causing a crushing defeat for Antipas.

Herod Agrippa made the people swear loyalty to Caligula and dismissed the high priest whom he had appointed 50 days earlier.

Herod Agrippa I returned to his territories in the summer of 38.

Herod Agrippa then went to the Capitol where the senators met in conclave and acted as intermediaries between them and Claudius.

The senators proclaimed Claudius emperor, and Herod Agrippa I recommended that Claudius be lenient vis-a-vis the conspirators, except for the regicides Cassius Chaerea and Lupus.

Herod Agrippa would marry his niece, Berenice, after the premature death of her young husband.

Herod Agrippa I intervened immediately and asked for the application of the decree of Claudius.

Herod Agrippa acted here as an ethnarch of the Jews, since Dora was not located on his territory.

Herod Agrippa undertook the major project of raising the ramparts of his historic capital and extending it to the northern district thanks to funding from the Temple treasury, which gave some of his Jewish subjects hope for the restoration of an independent kingdom.

Herod Agrippa continued the policy of euergetism external to Judea of Herod the Great by financing the construction of prestigious works in liberalities which mainly benefited the Roman colony of Berytus, without forgetting however the cities of Phoenicia and Syria.

Herod Agrippa offered shows and games, notably with gladiators, even if this contravened Jewish prescriptions, which he got accepted by using condemned criminals.

Herod Agrippa was thus the first Herodo-Hasmonean to participate in a Temple office since the dismissal of the Antigonus II Mattathias, although he did not offer sacrifices.

King Herod Agrippa stood and received it and read standing, and the sages praised him for doing so.

Herod Agrippa I used his prerogative to appoint the high priests of the Temple three times during his short reign, choosing alternately from the priestly dynasties of the Anan and the Boethos.

Herod Agrippa I died unexpectedly in 44, after only three years of reign over Judaea, during the games of Caesarea in honor of the emperor.

The death of Herod Agrippa I was celebrated by the pagan populations of the kingdom, in particular in Caesarea and Sebaste, which the sovereign had nevertheless largely favored.

From his union with Cypros, Herod Agrippa I had four children reaching adulthood: a son, Herod Agrippa II, and three daughters, Berenice, Mariamne and Drusilla.

Herod Agrippa I is a major figure in the Robert Graves novel Claudius the God, as well as the BBC television adaptation I, Claudius, portrayed by James Faulkner as an adult and Michael Clements as a child.

Herod Agrippa is struck down by unexplained illness, sending a final letter to Claudius seeking forgiveness.