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Octavian and Herod "The
growing tension in the Roman Empire between Antony and
Cleopatra on the one hand and Octavian on the other came to
a head in 31 B.C. at the Battle of Actium, in western
Greece, where Antony and Cleopatra were completely defeated.
They fled back to Egypt, where both committed suicide next
year. Octavian was now undisputed master of the Roman world,
and he was the representative of Roman power with whom Herod
had to deal for the remainder of his life. Soon after his
victory at Actium, Octavian summoned Herod to meet him at
Rhodes. Herod went with some trepidation, for it was well
known that he had been Antony's friend. He did not attempt
to disguise from Octavian his friendship with Antony, but
assured him that he would find him as good a friend and ally
as Antony had done. Octavian, for his part, recognized how
well the interests of Rome would continue to be served in
the East if Herod remained as king of the Jews, so Herod was
confirmed in his kingdom. He was given back the region round
Jericho, which Cleopatra had detached from his kingdom, and
he received in addition a number of Greek cities on the
Mediterranean coast and on both sides of the Jordan. F. F. Bruce,
"New Testament History" (England: Thomas Nelson and Sons
Ltd. 1969) pp. 15-16
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