Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 11.djvu/790

754   HERNÖSAND, chief town and scat of the administration of the lin of Wester Norrland on the east coast of Sweden, is built on the island of Hernö (connected with the mainland by bridges), about 3 miles south of the mouth of the Angerman river, and 230 miles north of Stockholm. It is the seat of a bishop and possesses a fine church, erected in 1842–46. There are engine works, timber-yards, saw-mills, and various manufactories in the town. The harbour is good. In 1878, 33 vessels, chiefly engaged in the timber trade, with a total burthen of 7698 tous, entered and cleared at the port. Tar is also exported, and there is an institution for piscieulture in the town. Hernösand was founded in, and received its first town privileges from John III. in. The in 1876 was 4912.  HERO AND LEANDER. Hero, the beautiful priestess of Venus at Sestos, was there seen by Leander, a youth of Abydos, at the celebration of the festival of Venus and Adonis. He became deeply enamoured of her, and found that day an opportunity of declaring his passion, which she returned; and as her position rendered their marriage impossible, they agreed to carry on a clandestine inter- course. Nightly Hero placed a lamp in the top of the tower where she dwelt by tle sea, and Leander, guided by it, swam the dangerous Hellespont. One stormy night the lamp was blown out, and Leander perished. On finding his body next morning on the shore, Hero flung herself into the waves.

1em  HEROD was the name of a family of Idumzan origin, which displaced the Asmoneans as the rulers of Judea. The founder of the dynasty, and its most notable representative in every way, was Herod the Great, who was king of the Jews for about thirty-seven, from to  Herod’s father was Antipater, who during the troubles which broke out in the family of Alexander Jannzus, attached himself to Hyrcanus, the weak-minded son of Alexander. In this way Antipater, though an Idumean, soon became the most powerful man in Judea, and in the Alexandrian war gave such effectual help to Julius Cesar that the dictator made him procurator of Judzea, Hyrcanus being high priest. The, at the age of twenty-five, Herod was appointed governor of Galilee by bis father. He soon gave proof of the remarkable energy of his character in rooting out the banditti who infested his province; but his summary measures gave a handle to the enemies of his house at Jerusalem, and he was summoned before the sanhedrin. There he appeared, not in the garb of an accused person, but gorgeously attired, and attended by a guard of soldiers. He found it expedient, however, to withdraw from Jerusalem without awaiting thesentence. He retired to Syria, where he met with a gracious reception from Sextus Czesar, who appointed him governor of Ceele-Syria. Herod now marched with an army against Jerusalem, but at the persuasion of his father and brother was induced to depart without exacting vengeance on his enemies. After the death of Cuzsar, the fortunes of Herod were affected by all the changes which befell the Roman state. When Cassius took the command in the East, and began to gather his strength for the final struggle which was decided at Philippi, Herod managed to win his favour by the readiness with which he raised his share of the heavy exactions imposed upon the Kast. About the same time his father was poisoned, and to Herod fell the task of avenging his death, as well as of supporting the interests of his house in Palestine. After Philippi he gained Antony over by large presents of money. He and his brother Phasael were appointed tetrarchs of Judea. In the Parthians appeared upon the scene, overran the whole of Syria, and placed on the throne of Judea Antigonus, son of Aristobulus, and representative of the rival branch of the Asmonean house. Herod was completely overpowered; and, after placing his relatives in safety, so far as he could, he hastened to Rome to lay his case before Antony and Octavianus. He succeeded beyond his expectation, for, while he meant only to advocate the claims of Hyrcanus the Asmonean, the two heads of the state made him king of Judwa. Herod returned home without delay, and set about the task of winning the kingdom allotted to him. Owing chiefly to the slackness of the Roman generals who should have helped him, it was three years before he succeeded in taking Jerusalem. Before that event he had married the beautiful Mariamne, a princess of the Asmonean house, a granddaughter both of Aristobulus and Hyrcanus. Herod’s early measures were cruel; he put to death all the members of the sanhedrin except two, and spared no one that was likely to stand in his way. Aristobulus, the youthful brother of Mariamne, whom he had appointed high priest, he caused to be treacherously drowned because he was tuo popular with the patriotic party. On this occasion Alexandra, mother of Aristobulus, induced Cleopatra to take her part, and Herod had to appear before Antony to answer the charge of murdering the prince. Again Herod knew how to gain the Roman, and he returned home with confirmed power. During the war of Actium, Herod had the good fortune to be engaged in a war with the king of Arabia on Antony’s behalf, and so escaped the risk of fighting against Octavianus. Yet he recognized the danger of his position as the friend of Antony, and faced it with his usual courage and foresight. Hastening to Rhodes, he appeared in the presence of the conqueror, and avowing his loyalty to his friend Antony, proffered the same faithful service to Octavianus. Octavianus was gracious, and remained the constant friend and patron of Herod to the end. This was the last crisis of Herod’s life; he was henceforward undisputed king of Judea, and next to Agrippa the most trusted friend of Augustus. But while the friend of the great, and prosperous in all external relations, Nemesis pursued him in his family. When summoned to answer for himself before Antony, and again on his journey to Rhodes, he left the beautiful and beloved Mariamne in charge of one of his friends, but with the cruel injunction that she should be put to death should anything serious befall himself. On both occasions Mariamne discovered the secret, and, instead 