From the Taking of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes to the Death of Herod the Great - Flavius Josephus

to them, and by the great uneasiness he showed upon any thing that troubled
him. Antipater had also made their uncle Pheroras to be their enemy, as well
as their aunt Salome, while he was always talking with her, as with a wife,
and irritating her against them. Moreover, Alexander's wife, Glaphyra,
augmented this hatred against them, by deriving her nobility and genealogy
[from great persons], and pretending that she was a lady superior to all others
in that kingdom, as being derived by her father's side from Temenus, and by
her mother's side from Darius, the son of Hystaspes. She also frequently
reproached Herod's sister and wives with the ignobility of their descent; and
that they were every one chosen by him for their beauty, but not for their
family. Now those wives of his were not a few; it being of old permitted to
the Jews to marry many wives, (1) and this king delighting in many; all
which hated Alexander, on account of Glaphyra's boasting and reproaches.
3. Nay, Aristobulus had raised a quarrel between himself and Salome,
who was his mother-in-law, besides the anger he had conceived at Glaphyra's
reproaches; for he perpetually upbraided his wife with the meanness of her
family, and complained, that as he had married a woman of a low family, so
had his brother Alexander married one of royal blood. At this Salome's
daughter wept, and told it her with this addition, that Alexander threatened
the mothers of his other brethren, that when he should come to the crown, he
would make them weave with their maidens, and would make those brothers
of his country schoolmasters; and brake this jest upon them, that they had
been very carefully instructed, to fit them for such an employment. Hereupon
Salome could not contain her anger, but told all to Herod; nor could her
testimony be suspected, since it was against her own son-in-law There was
also another calumny that ran abroad and inflamed the king's mind; for he
heard that these sons of his were perpetually speaking of their mother, and,
among their lamentations for her, did not abstain from cursing him; and that
when he made presents of any of Mariamne's garments to his later wives,
these threatened that in a little time, instead of royal garments, they would
clothe theft in no better than hair-cloth.
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