- See Antipater (disambiguation) for other people of this name.
Antipater (ca. 46 BC – 4 BC) was Herod the Great's first-born son, his only child by his first wife Doris. He was named after his paternal grandfather Antipater the Idumaean. He and his mother were exiled after Herod divorced her between 43 BC and 40 BC to marry Mariamne I. However, he was recalled following Mariamne's fall and in 13 BC Herod made him his first heir in his will. He retained this position even when Alexandros and Aristobulos (Herod's sons by Mariamne) rose in the royal succession a year later, and even became exclusive successor to the throne after their execution in 7 BC (with Herod Philip I in second place). However, in 5 BC Antipater was brought before the court charged with the intended murder of Herod and found guilty — his role as exclusive successor was removed and granted to Herod Antipas. Once the sentence had received the necessary approval from Augustus in 4 BC, Antipater was then killed, and Archelaus (from the marriage with Malthace) made heir as king over Herod's entire kingdom (with Antipas and Philip as Tetrarchs over certain territories).
