ANTIPATER. — Three members of the Herodian family.
1. The founder of the Idumaean family of the Herods, often mistakenly confused with the father of Herod the Great. Wealthy and influential, he was appointed by Alexander Jannaeus (v.) as governor (strategos) of Idumaea.
2. Son of the preceding and father of Herod the Great. He was called Antipas to distinguish himself from his father while the latter was alive. Flavius Josephus (Bell. Jud., I, 6, 2) describes him as an Idumaean of noble birth; but a legend arose that he was an Ascalonite (St. Justin, C. Tryph., c. 52), and Julius Africanus (apud Eusebius, Hist. Ecc., I, 7, 11) adds that his father was a hierodule of the temple of Apollo in Ascalon and that A. was kidnapped as a child and taken to Idumaea. Cunning and ambitious, A. succeeded, starting as a mere governor of Idumaea, in directing the fate of Palestine.
In the civil strife between Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus, he sided with the former, for whom he actually governed, lending strong support to the Romans in the campaigns of 63–62, bending the Nabataeans to their obedience, supplying grain, weapons, and money to the governor of Syria Gabinius in the Egyptian expedition of 55, and persuading others to take the Roman side in Egypt. During the revolt of Alexander (55) he strove to dissuade the Jews from fighting against Gabinius, who defeated them at Mount Tabor. In return Gabinius reorganized the administration of Judaea entirely according to his wishes.
A.’s rapid rise was chiefly due to his alliance with Julius Caesar after Pharsalus and the death of Pompey in Egypt (28 Sept. 48 B.C.). He enabled the dictator’s victory by facilitating the arrival at Alexandria of the auxiliary army of Mithridates and by playing a leading part in the victory over Ptolemy Dionysius, Cleopatra’s brother. Grateful, Caesar granted A. Roman citizenship, exemption from taxes, and the title of procurator (of finance) of Judaea. While he was scheming to secure the throne for his son Herod, he was poisoned by Malichus, a courtier of Hyrcanus (43 B.C.). Though a “foreigner” lacking Jewish patriotism, he had obtained from Caesar favors for the Jews.
3. The eldest son of Herod the Great, born of his first marriage (with Doris). He was the evil demon who disrupted his father’s life. For conspiracy and attempted parricide, Herod had him executed shortly before his own death (4 B.C.).