25. The Murderous King of Judea
Herod the Great of Judea is best known as the king from the New Testament who ordered all babies killed when Jesus was born. That event, The Massacre of the Innocents, never happened, but Herod was still a bloody murderer, whose victims included his own flesh and blood. Indeed, quipping about how Herod treated his offspring, Roman Emperor Augustus remarked: “I would rather be Herod’s pig than his son“.
A Roman client king, Herod built some massive projects during his reign, such as the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and the fortress of Masada. His reign started off well, but as it progressed, Herod started getting paranoid about plots against him, some real, others imaginary. Those around Herod manipulated his fears, causing him to often lash out violently. The victims of his wrath included members of his own family.