Herodias
Granddaughter of Mariamne descendant from the Hasmonean line, that of the Maccabees, she is also the granddaughter of Herod the Great, the very one who had the father and grandmother of Herodias assassinated during the conflicts with Antigonus, the last representative of the Hasmoneans.
She first marries Herod Philip, her uncle (different from the Tetrarch of Iturea), with whom she has a daughter: Salome. Repudiated, she marries the half-brother of the former: Herod Antipas.
She harbors a deep hatred for John the Baptist because of the constant reproaches he makes about her adultery. This leads her to plot his beheading, thanks to her daughter Salome, and to persistently torment his corpse by giving his head to the dogs.[1] However, Herod Antipas will break away from her.[2]
Character and Appearance
Ambitious and strong-willed, she steers the ship at Herod's court. An infernal creature who dominates a cruel man, according to the shepherds.[3]
Where is she mentioned in the work?
GRM 47 GRM 81GRM 121 GRM 131 GRM 133 GRM 158 GRM 180
GRM 549
Learn More About This Character
She will end up sharing the exile of Herod Antipas in Gaul and then in Spain, shortly after the death of Jesus.
Notes and references
Note: Quotations from the work of Maria Valtorta on this page currently use machine-translated text and will gradually be replaced by the official English translation. Until then, the official translation may be consulted through the reference link provided with each quotation.