S18 
HER 
HER 
lifhed at Paris, in the firft volume of the Analeft. Grac. 
4to. Excerpta de Menfuris ex Heronis Geometria, in Greek, 
accompanied with a Latin verfion, by de Montfaucon. 
HERO (North), an ifland in Lake Champlain, is a 
townfhip annexed to Chittenden county in Vermont, 
and contains 125 inhabitants. It is thirteen miles in 
length, and two in breadth. 
HERO (South), an ifland in the fame lake, belong, 
ing to Chittenden county, Vermont, is a townfhip and 
port of entry, and contains 537 inhabitants. It is four¬ 
teen miles long, and three and a half broad. Numer¬ 
ous fmall ifles furround the Heroes. This ifland pro¬ 
duces good crops of wheat and other grain. In it is a 
quarry of bluifh-grey marble, which has the appearance 
of being a petrifaction of fcallops, a fpecies of fhell 
common in the vicinity of the lake, .together with the 
common earth of the fhore, which is of a marly fub- 
ltance. 
HER'OD (furnamed the Great, or the Afcalonite), 
king of the Jews, fecond fon of Antipater the Idumaean, 
born in the year 71 before Chrifl. At an early-age he 
was made governor of Galilee ; and in the civil war be¬ 
tween the republican and Casfarian parties, Herod, with 
his elder brother Phafael, joined the Roman quasftor 
Caflius, and was made governor of Coelofyria. When 
Marc Antony arrived victorious in Syria, Herod and his 
brother found means to ingratiate th'emfelves with him, 
• and were appointed to-govern Judea as tetrarchs ; but 
an invaiion of Antigonus, fon of Ariftobulus, who was 
fupported by the Jews, obliged Herod to make his ef- 
cape from Jerufalem, and retire firft into Idumaea, and 
then into Egypt. His brother Phafael, who was made 
prifoner, put an end to his own life. Herod efcaped 
to Rome, where he was received with great kindnefs by 
Antony, and nominated by the fenate to the crown of 
Jiidea. He had, however, his way to fight to the throne, 
which was in polic'Tion of Antigonus. He marched 
agair.ft him, and, aCting with great vigour, recovered-all 
the country to the walls of Jerufalem, to which, with the 
afiiftance of a Roman army, he laid fiege. Meantime, he 
confummated his marriage with Mariainne, grand-daugh¬ 
ter of H'yrcanus, of the royal Afmonean family, to whom 
he had long been betrothed, Jerufalem, after a fiege 
of fix months, was taken by florin j and Antigonus was 
made prifoner by Herod, who thus gained pofleflion of 
his kingdom before Chrifl 37. When the war broke 
mut between Marc Antony and Auguftus Caefar, Herod 
raifed an army for the purpofe of joining the former; 
but lie was obliged firft to engage Vith Malchus, king 
of a part of Arabia, whom lie defeated, and compelled 
to fiie for peace. After the battle df ACtium, his great 
objeCi was to make terms with the viCtor. His preli¬ 
minary ftep was to put to death the aged Hyrcanus, the 
only furviving male of the Afmonean family-. He then 
embarked for Rhodes, where Auguftus at that time was. 
He appeared before the mafter of the Roman world in 
all his regal ornaments except his diadem ; and with a 
noble confidence related all the faithful fervices he'had 
performed to. his benefaCtor Antony, concluding that 
lie was ready to transfer the fame gratitude to a new pa¬ 
tron, from whom lie fiiould .hold his crown and king¬ 
dom. Auguftus was ftruck with the magnanimity of 
this defence, and replaced the diadem on hi$head ; and 
Herod knew' fo well how to ingratiate himfelf witli the 
imperial court, that he remained the moft favoured of 
the tributary fovereigns. When Auguftus, in his- 
way to and from Egypt, palled through Syria, he was 
entertained with the utmolt magnificence by Herod ; in 
rerompence for which he refiored to him all his reve¬ 
nues and dominions, and augmented them. His good 
fortune was, however, poifoned by domeltic broils, and 
efpecially by the inluperable averfion of iiis wife Mari- 
amne, whole high fptrit would not fuffer her to diffem- 
ble her feelings of the injuries he had infliCted on her 
family, and his bloody defighs againlt herfelf. Before 
his interview with Auguftus, he had given an order 
againlt her life, and-his fufpicions of her chaftity with 
refpeCt to Soliemus, her guardian, inflamed by the arts of 
Salome his filter, puflied him on to that public trial and 
condemnation which was foon followed by her execu¬ 
tion. She fubniitted to her fate- with all the intrepidity 
of heavenly innocence ; and was avenged by the re- 
morfe of her hufband, who feems never after to have 
enjoyed a tranquil hour. Unable by diffipation to ba- 
mlli her from Ins memory, he frequently called aloud 
upon her name, and even fent his attendants to bring 
her into his prefence, as if unwilling to forget that fhe 
was no more. Projects of kingly magnificence, how¬ 
ever, now took their turn ; and no prince of fuel! con¬ 
fined dominions ever diflinguifhed himfelf more by 
works of coft and fplendour. He built at Jerufalem a 
ftately theatre and amphitheatre in the Roman ftyle, in 
which he celebrated games in honour of Auguftus Ca- 
lar, to the great difpleafure of the Jews, who difeover- 
ed Gentile profanation in thefe theatrical fpeCtacles A 
confpiracy againlt him on this account was detected, 
and p uni filed with mercilefs leverity. He next rebuilt 
Samaria, which he named Sebafte, and adorned it with 
the moft .fumptuous edifices ; and for his greater fecu- 
rity he built feveral ftrong fortrelles throughout Judea ■ 
ol which the principal was called Cajfaria, in honour of 
Auguftus. I11 his palace near the temple of Jerufa¬ 
lem, he lavifhed the moft coftly materials and curious 
w orkmanfhip ; and his palace of Herodion, at fome 
mile^ diltance from the capital, by the beauty of its fitu- 
ation drew around it the population of a confiderable 
city. To fupply the place of his firft Mariamne, he 
married a new wife of the fame name, the beautiful 
daughter of a pried, whom' he raifed to the fupreme 
pontificate. In order to acquire credit with the jews, 
he undertook the vail enterprife of rebuilding the tem¬ 
ple of Jerufalem; and by the labour of a whole army 
ot workmen, he carried on the ItruCture with fo much 
expedition, that the holy place, or temple, was finifbed 
with great magnificence within a year and a half. The 
dedication of his new city of Ctelarea foon followed, at 
which he difplayed fuch profufe magnificence, that Au¬ 
guftus Che far exclaimed, “his foul was too great for 
his kingdom.” 
The unnatural enmity between Herod and his two fons 
by the firft Mariamne, underwent various fluctuations, 
and at length proved fatal to the unfortunate princes. 
Upon proofs ot feveral attempts upon their father’s life, 
he obtained permiflion from Auguftus to have them 
tried'at Berytus, before Jhe governors of Syria and the 
neighbouring provinces, where he folemnly pleaded' 
againlt them in perlon. They were condemned to death, 
and ftrangled. Their trial feems to have 'been fair ■ 
and the paternal care taken by Herod of the two fons 
whom each of them left, appears to acquit him of 
that want of natural affeCtion with which he has been 
charged on the occafion. Domeftic dilfenfion, however, 
ItrilTbanithed peace from the houle of Herod. His bro¬ 
ther Pheroras, and his favoured fon Antipater, entered 
into a confpiracy againlt him.. Soon after its difeovery, 
the former, who experienced much kindnefs from He¬ 
rod, died ; the latter went to Rome. That important 
event, the birth of Jesus Christ, took place in the 
thirty-third year of Herod’s reign, before Chrilt 5 of the 
vulgar era. See the article Chronology, vol. iv. 
P- 55 1 • It was foon followed by that act of cruelty, tie 
mallkcre of the children at Bethlehem, prompted by 
jealoufy of this king of the Jews in a fpiritual lenle, whole 
birth was announced to him by the magi. The record 
of this unparalleled barbarity is found in St. Matthew’s 
Gofpel, c. ii. About this time his i'011 Antipater, re¬ 
turning from Rome, was arrefted, and charged with 
treafonable practices. His trial was held before Quinc- 
tilius Varus, governor of Syria; and he was found 
guilty of conlpiring againlt the life of his father. Thefe 
calamities. 
