Agrippa II

AGRIPPA II (Marcus Julius; or Herod Agrippa). - Son of the preceding, born in 27-28 A.D., died probably between 92 and 93. Educated at the imperial court, he was still in Rome at the death of his father, whose kingdom he could not inherit, being seventeen years old. In 49 he obtained from Claudius the kingdom of Chalcis; in 53, in place of this, the tetrarchies of Philip and of Lysanias, and in 55 from Nero the cities of Tiberias, Tarichea, Iulius (Livias) with 14 toparchies, and Abila. He furnished troops to the Romans in the Parthian war. He received from Claudius the superintendence of the Temple and the privilege of appointing the high priests. He created six of them, and deposed Ananus for having stoned James "the brother of the Lord." He did not succeed in having demolished the wall built by the priests to block his view of the sacred functions. He embellished Caesarea Philippi, calling it Neronias, and especially Berytus. In an inscription of Baalbek he is designated "Patronus col(oniae)." Having come with his sister Berenice to greet the new procurator Porcius Festus at Caesarea, he acknowledged the innocence of Paul, confessing to him that ἐν ὀλίγῳ (almost?) he would have persuaded him to become a Christian (Acts 25:13-26:32).

Returning from Alexandria in 66, he exhorted the people of Jerusalem to desist from rebellion against the Romans. Then he sent 3000 horsemen to suppress it. He took part in the expedition of Cestius Gallus with 3000 foot soldiers and about 2000 horsemen, and in that of Vespasian and Titus with his whole army, being wounded in the siege of Gamala. From 67 he returned into possession of his kingdom. In the year 68 he sailed with Titus on warships for Rome, to greet the new emperor Galba. He returned to the East as soon as he learned of the proclamation of Vespasian. In the year 70 he celebrated with Titus at Caesarea Philippi the victory over the Jews. In the year 75 he was again in Rome, where he obtained the praetorian insignia and new enlargements of his kingdom. He wrote 62 letters in favor of the history of the Jewish war by Flavius Josephus. He had as secretary for a certain time the historian Justus of Tiberias. It does not appear that he had a wife; he was accused of living incestuously with Berenice. He was a capable and cultured ruler. His Romanophilia is attested by the coins and inscriptions, for example that of Baalbek: "(rex) magnus Ag(rip)pa Pius Philocaesar et Philoromaeus."

Bonaventura Mariani