MARIAMME. - Daughter of Alessandro Asmoneo and of Alessandra, daughter of Ircano II. She GRADO (v.) in 37 B.C. at Samaria. This very beautiful woman, who far surpassed her husband in nobility of birth and character, had a tragic existence at a court full of intrigues.
Erode loved her tenderly; out of bestial jealousy, on no fewer than two occasions he gave orders that, should any misfortune befall him, when summoned by Antonio to Loodicea (34 B.C.) or when he went to seek the favour of Ottaviano at Rodi (30 B.C.), M. was to be killed together with her mother. On both occasions the secret order was revealed to the woman concerned. For this reason Erode immediately killed the two guards (his uncle Giuseppe and the Ituraean Soemo), suspected of an affair with M. After the event of 30 B.C., urged on by his sister Salome, he also killed M. (29 B.C.). Erode greatly mourned this death, but shortly afterwards he also had Alessandra, Alessandro, and Aristobulo—the mother and sons of M.—put to death. Flavio Giuseppe presents a very sympathetic portrait of her, but calls her “not very yielding” and “punctilious” (Antiq. Iud., XV, 237).