Archelaus

Archelaus is a given name from ancient Greek, used by several historical figures in the eastern Mediterranean world. The name derives from arche, “ruler,” and laos, “people,” and is found in various Hellenistic and early Roman periods.

Archelaus I of Macedon, sometimes listed simply as Archelaus, was a king of Macedon who reigned in the late 5th to early 4th century BCE (traditionally dated to ca. 413–399 BCE). The historical record for his reign is fragmentary, but he is generally described as having strengthened royal authority and undertaken urban and administrative initiatives within the kingdom. His rule falls in a transitional era between the high Archaic and early Classical periods of Macedonian history, a time when the kingdom was consolidating its position among the Greek states.

Archelaus, ethnarch of Judea, Samaria and Idumea, governed under Roman suzerainty from 4 BCE until his deposition in 6 CE. He was the son of Herod the Great and, upon his father’s death, inherited the Herodian territories as an ethnarch rather than a king. His administration was marked by centralized authority and harsh tax and policy measures, which contributed to unrest among Jewish subjects. In 6 CE, Emperor Augustus deposed him and restructured the governance of Judea, replacing the Herodian client state with a Roman provincial administration under a prefect. Archelaus’ removal ended the autonomous client-kingdom era in that region.

In historical sources, the name Archelaus appears in different contexts within Greek and Jewish history, reflecting the broader patterns of dynastic rule and regional governance in antiquity.