Glaphyra. This Capadocian princess was related to the Herodians only by marriage. The wife of Alexander, Herod’s first son by Mariamne the Hasmonean, she bore him two sons. Josephus uses her presence in the Herodian court in order to describe how her obvious royal lineage caused jealousy among the lesser-born Herodian princesses (Ant. 16:193). With her husband’s execution in 7 B.C.E., she returned to her father’s court and married King Juba of Mauritania in North Africa. However, after his death she returned to the Herodian court when Archelaus, Herod’s son by Malthace the Samaritan, proposed to her (Ant. 17:349–351). Josephus finds it necessary to condemn this match, since Glaphyra had had children by Alexander and was thus, according to Jewish law, forbidden to his brothers. Whether Glaphyra ever bothered to endorse any aspect of Judaism is never stated. Her offspring by Alexander, however, while they served as kings of Armenia, relinquished any Jewish connection (Ant. 18:140). http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/herodian-women

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Glaphyra from "Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum " Glaphyra (Greek: Γλαφύρα; born around 35 BC-died around 7) was an Anatolian Princess from Cappadocia [1] and through marriage was related to the Herodian Dynasty.

Family & Early Life

Glaphyra was a Monarch of Greek, Armenian and Persian descent. She was the daughter of the Roman Client King Archelaus of Cappadocia, while her only natural sibling was her younger brother Archelaus of Cilicia. [3] Her paternal grandfather was the Roman Client and High Priest Ruler Archelaus of the temple state of Comana, Cappadocia [4], while her paternal grandmother was Glaphya. Glaphyra was named in honor of her paternal grandmother. [5] Her paternal great, grandfather also named Archelaus claimed to be descended from King Mithridates VI of Pontus. [6] Chronologically her paternal great grandfather, may have been a maternal grandson of the Pontic King, who his father Archelaus, was the favorite high-ranking general of Mithridates VI, who may had married one of the daughters of Mithridates VI. [7]

The first wife of Archelaus who was the mother of Glaphyra was an unnamed Princess from Armenia[8], who died by 8 BC. There is a possibility that Glaphyra’s parents may have been distant relatives. Glaphyra’s mother may have been a daughter of King Artavasdes II of Armenia (reigned 53 BC-34 BC) of the Artaxiad Dynasty. Artavasdes II was a Monarch of Armenian, Persian and Greek Macedonian descent, who was the father of the future Armenian Kings Artaxias II and Tigranes III. The father of Artavasdes II was Tigranes the Great [9], who married Cleopatra of Pontus a daughter of Mithridates VI from his first wife, his sister Laodice [10], thus Artavasdes II was a maternal grandson to Mithridates VI and Laodice.

She was born and raised on the mainland and spent her later life at the harbor city of Elaiussa Sebaste. The Roman Emperor Augustus in 25 BC gave her father extra territories to govern and among them included Elaiussa Sebaste.[11] After 25 BC, Glaphyra and her family settled there, where her father developed the city. Her father built a royal residence, built a palace on the island in the harbor and renamed the city in honor of Augustus. [12] Glaphyra held the high ranking title of ‘king’s daughter’, which is reflective of her descent and high birth. [13] She was an attractive and a dynamic woman, who had a reputation of being so charming, desirable and proved to be a forced to be reckoned with.[14]

First Marriage

Roman Emperor Augustus encouraged intermarriage among the families of the client-rulers to cement peace and to assist him in governing the Roman Empire. [15] Roman Client King of Judea Herod the Great, reorganised his alliances, though usually he married his sons or daughters to other relatives in his family or to Jews. [16] However with his son Alexander (Herod’s first child with his wife Mariamne), Herod wanted to marry Alexander to a gentile princess. [17] Herod had negotiated with Archelaus a marriage alliance between their kingdoms and families. [18] Either in 18 BC or 17 BC, in Herod’s court in Jerusalem, Glaphyra married Alexander. [19] Archelaus gave as a wedding present to her daughter a dowry, which Herod later returned to her. [20] The union of Alexander and Glaphyra was a happy marriage and when she married Alexander she didn’t encounter any opposition. [21] Glaphyra became a Jew upon marriage into Herod’s family and she did adopt Judaism even though no mention of conversion was made in the account of her first marriage. [22] Glaphyra bore Alexander three children, two sons: Tigranes [23], Alexander [24] and the last child was an unnamed daughter. [25] The names that Glaphyra and Alexander gave their children are a reflection of their cultural ancestry and royal descent.

At the court of Jerusalem, Glaphyra made a nuisance of herself by genealogical pretentiousness, parading her ancestors on the paternal side the monarchs of Macedonia, on the maternal side of Persia. [26] She taunted Salome and Herod’s wives about their low birth. Glaphyra’s attitude towards Berenice was insolent, as she regarded Berenice ‘with indignation’. Berenice and Glaphyra were equally ranked. [27] This led Aristobulus IV to make a comparison to Berenice while he had married her as a ‘woman of the people’. [28] This caused Salome to spread a rumor that Herod was ‘smitten with love for Glaphyra and that his passion was difficult to assuage. [29] This anger her husband and worsened Alexander’s relationship with his father. [30] The women in Herod’s court grew to hate Glaphyra and Alexander, thus the couple became unpopular. [31] Due to Glaphyra’s unpopularity led to rumors about Alexander and Aristobulus IV, ending with Herod’s beliefs that Alexander and his brother were plotting against him. [32]

With Augustus’ permission, Herod tried and killed Alexander and Aristobulus IV in 7 BC. Herod had questioned Glaphyra to test her loyalty to him. [33] After the burials of Alexander and Aristobulus IV, Herod acted in an extreme and brutal manner returning Glaphyra to Cappadocia, forcing her to leave her children under the sole custody of Herod in Jerusalem. Glaphyra’s children remained under Herod’s guardianship so he could be able to control their fates. [34] After Glaphyra returned to Cappadocia it didn’t rupture the friendly relations between the two client kingdoms.

Life after Alexander & Second Marriage

When Glaphyra returned to Cappadocia, she lived with her father and brother. Herod died in 4 BC in Jericho. [35] After the death of Herod, her children decided to leave Jerusalem and to live in Cappadocia with Glaphyra and her family. After her children arrived in Cappadocia, they disinherited their Jewish descent, deserted their Jewish religion and embraced their Greek heritage, including the religion. [36] Her and her children’s family connections with the Herodian Dynasty were not wholly broken.

Between 2 BC-2, the African Roman Client King Juba II of Mauretania, accompanied Gaius Caesar (one of Augustus’ grandsons) as a member of his advisory staff as they travelled to the Eastern Mediterranean. It was during this period Glaphyra met Juba II. [37] Later they fell in love and Glaphyra married Juba II [38] as her second husband in the year 7. For Juba II this was his second marriage[39], as he was previously widowed in the year 6, by his first wife Queen of Mauretania, Cleopatra Selene II.

Through marriage, Glaphyra became Queen of Mauretania. Their marriage was brief as according to archaeological evidence, there is no trace of Glaphyra’s name in North African inscriptions. [40] However her union with Juba II lasted long enough to be given an honorific inscription by the Athenians [41] as shown below in Greek and translated in English:

Ή βουλή καί [%CF%8C δ]ήμος [%CE%92]ασίλισσαν [%CE%93%CE%BB%CF%85%CF%86%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%B1%CE%BD] βασιλέω[%CF%82] Άρχέλάου θυρ[%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%AD%CF%81%CE%B1], βασιλέως Ίοβ[%CE%AC] γυναίκ[%CE%B1 άρε]τής έν[%CE%B5]κα. The Boule and Demos honors Queen Glaphyra daughter of King Archelaus and wife of King Juba on the account of her virtue. 

[edit] Third Marriage

In her second marriage, she became reacquainted and fell in love with the Roman Ethnarch of Samaria, Judea and Edom, Herod Archelaus. [42] Herod Archelaus was a half-brother to her first husband and was another son to Herod the Great from his wife Malthace. [43] Herod Archelaus was so smitten with Glaphyra, he married her. [44] For Herod Archelaus and Glaphyra to marry; Glaphyra divorced Juba II[45] and Herod Archelaus divorced his first wife, who was his cousin Mariamne. [46]

The marriage of Glaphyra and Herod Archelaus took place in the time Herod Archelaus was an Ethnarch. [47] Glaphyra left Mauretania to travel to Judea to marry Herod Archelaus. After Glaphyra arrived in Judea and married Herod Archelaus, their marriage was considered immoral by the Jews and caused a major religious scandal in Jerusalem. [48] Their marriage was a complete violation of Jewish laws of levirate marriage[49] and the Jews consider a wife to marry a former brother-in-law immoral.

The marriage of Glaphyra and Herod Archelaus unfortunately didn’t have a happy ending. Shortly after Glaphyra and Herod Archelaus married, Glaphyra had a dream which 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 about the dream and died two days later. [50]

About the time of Glaphyra’s death, Augustus removed Herod Archelaus from his political position, because of his cruelty and was banished to Vienne in Gaul. [51] Its uncertain if Glaphyra died before or during the exile of Herod Archelaus. [52] The death of Glaphyra, doubtless brought sorrow to many and at least in the women of the Judean Court joy to some. [53]

Another Version of the Story

Glaphyra (died around 7) was a Princess of Cappadocia and daughter of King Archelaus of Cappadocia. Her mother is unknown, was born at an unknown date and raised in the 1st century BC. Her great grandfather King Archelaus of Cappadocia was the second husband of Greek Ptolemaic Queen Berenice IV of Egypt (they had no children).

Her first husband was prince Alexander of Judea, a son of the King of Judea Herod the Great from his wife Mariamne I. Glaphyra and Alexander had three children, two sons Alexander and Tigranes and the last child is unknown. Alexander was executed by his father in 7 BC. Glaphyra returned to her father with her children.

Her second husband was African King Juba II of Mauretania. Glaphyra and Juba met between 2 BC-2, when Juba accompanied Gaius Caesar as a member of advisory staff as they travelled to the Eastern Mediterranean. Juba’s first wife, Queen of Mauretania Cleopatra Selene II had already died when Glaphyra and Juba married by 7 AD.

Glaphyra became Queen of Mauretania and a stepmother to Juba’s children from his first marriage, Ptolemy of Mauretania and Drusilla of Mauretania. Their marriage was brief. According to archaeological evidence, there is no trace of Glaphyra’s name in North African inscriptions.

During her second marriage, she fell in love with King of Judea Herod Archelaus. Herod Archelaus was a half brother to her first husband and another son to Herod the Great from his wife Malthace.

When Archelaus and Glaphyra fell in love, they both divorced their partners. Although Archelaus and Glaphyra married, their marriage was considered immoral by the Jews. The Jews consider a wife to marry a former brother-in-law immoral. The marriage between Glaphyra and Archelaus was brief, as Glaphyra died soon after she arrived in Judea from Mauretania.

Her sons Alexander and Tigranes from her first marriage returned to Cappadocia. They disinherited their Jewish heritage. Glaphyra from her first marriage had a grandchild, the child from Alexander's marriage, who was Julius Tigranes, who would be King of Armenia under the Roman Emperor Nero. The source of Glaphyra’s life is from Roman Jewish historian Josephus

Forrás / Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaphyra

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Wagner, Sir Anthony Richard; ‘Pedigree and Progress: Essays in the Genealogical Interpretation of History’

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As to Alexander, the son of Herod the king, who was slain by his father, he had two sons, Alexander and Tigranes, by the daughter of Archelaus, king of Cappadocia. Tigranes, who was king of Armenia, was accused at Rome, and died childless; Alexander had as on of the same name with his brother Tigranes, and was sent to take possession of the kingdom of Armenia by Nero; he had a son, Alexander, who married Jotape, (17) the daughter of Antiochus, the king of Commagena; Vespasian made him king of an island in Cilicia. But these descendants of Alexander, soon after their birth, deserted the Jewish religion, and went over to that of the Greeks. But for the rest of the daughters of Herod the king, it happened that they died childless. Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews XVIII Chapter 5 .http://religiousstudies.uncc.edu/people/jtabor/john.html

ID: I82390

Name: Glaphyra of Cappadocia

Given Name: Glaphyra

Surname: of Cappadocia

Sex: F

_UID: F4033BC7A2C341408420F53022DDC968D84C

Change Date: 26 Nov 2005

Death: Y

Marriage 1 Alexander of Judea

Married:

Children

C. Julius Alexander of Judea

Forrás / Source:

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jdp-fam&i...

Glaphyra

Glaphyra (Greek: Γλαφύρα; born around 35 BCE-died around 7 CE) was an Anatolian Princess from Cappadocia and through marriage was related to the Herodian Dynasty.

Family and early life

Glaphyra was a royal princess of Greek, Armenian and Persian descent. Her father was the Roman ally king Archelaus of Cappadocia, her only natural sibling was her younger brother Archelaus of Cilicia. 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 Glaphyra. The priest-kings of Comana were descended from Archelaus, the favorite high-ranking general of Mithridates VI of Pontus, who may have married a daughter of Mithridates VI.

Glaphyra's mother, the first wife of Archelaus, was an Armenian Princess whose name is unknown and who died by 8 BCE. She may have been a daughter of King Artavasdes II of Armenia, son of Tigranes the Great and Cleopatra of Pontus, 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 BCE, the Emperor Augustus gave Archelaus extra territories to govern, including the port of Elaiussa Sebaste, 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.

First marriage

Augustus encouraged intermarriage among the families of Roman ally kings. King Herod the Great of Judaea usually married his children to relatives or to his subjects. However, Herod wanted his son Alexander to marry a foreign princess. Herod negotiated a marriage alliance with Archelaus.

Either in 18 BCE or 17 BCE, in Herod’s court in Jerusalem, 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 even though no mention of conversion was made in the account of her first marriage. Glaphyra bore Alexander three children: two sons, Tigranes and Alexander, 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, and her maternal descent from the rulers of Persia. She taunted Salome and Herod’s wives about their low birth. Glaphyra sneered at Salome's daughter Berenice, regarding her ‘with indignation’, though they were of equal rank. Her attitude caused Berenice's husband, prince Aristobulus IV 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. 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 BCE. 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 BCE in Jericho. 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 BCE-2 CE, the Roman ally king Juba II of Mauretania toured the Eastern Mediterranean with Augustus’ grandson Gaius Caesar. During this trip Juba II met Glaphyra. They fell in love, and were married prior to 6 CE. Juba II's previous consort, Cleopatra Selene II, presumably died prior to 6 CE. (Some coins of Cleopatra Selene II have been dated to 17 CE, 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 honorific inscription to her was made in Athens.

Ή βουλή καί [%CF%8C δ]ήμος [%CE%92]ασίλισσαν [%CE%93%CE%BB%CF%85%CF%86%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%B1%CE%BD] βασιλέω[%CF%82] Άρχέλάου θυρ[%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%AD%CF%81%CE%B1], βασιλέως Ίοβ[%CE%AC] γυναίκ[%CE%B1 άρε]τής έν[%CE%B5]κα.
The Boule and Demos honors Queen Glaphyra daughter of King Archelaus and wife of King Juba on the account of her virtue.

Third marriage

During her second marriage, she became reacquainted with Herod Archelaus (half-brother of her first husband, and now the Roman Ethnarch of Samaria, Judaea, and Edom). He was the son of Herod the Great and his third wife Malthace. 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.

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. It was considered immoral by the Jews and caused a major religious scandal in Judaea.

The marriage of Glaphyra and Herod Archelaus unfortunately didn’t 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. It is uncertain if Glaphyra died before or during his exile. Her death reputedly gratified the women of the Judaean court.

Source :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaphyra