★ Historical Person: Herod's the Great great-grandson ★

Kings of Armenia Minor. Aristoboulos. (54-92 AD.) Æ (26,5mm, 18.17 g.). Dated RY 17 (70/1 AD.). [BA]CIΛEΩC APICTOBO[YΛOY ET IZ], diademed head left; c/m: monogram within square incuse. Rev. [/ TITΩ/ OΥECΠA/CIANΩ AY/TOKPATΩ/P CEBAC/TΩ] in six lines within wreath. Kovacs 301; Meshorer 367a; Hendin 1258; Sofaer 172; RG 3; RPC II 1692. for c/m: Kovacs 24; Howgego pl. 33, 722.1. The reverse is almost completely worn but the obverse still displays the bold veristic portrait of the ruler. Very Fine with a nice brownish ''river'' patina. Aristoboulos was the son of Herod of Chalkis and the great-grandson of Herod the Great. Josephus serves as our only literary source for the reign of Aristoboulos, informing us that he was appointed king of Armenia Minor by Nero in AD 54 (Ant. XX.158). He married Salome (daughter of Herod II and widow of Philip the Tetrarch), who has traditionally been identified as the young woman who demanded the head of John the Baptist (Matthew 14:1–12; Mark 6:14–29). Aristoboulos' long reign would suggest he was a loyal client of Rome, as does the evidence we can glean from his coinage.