King Alexander ruled Judea for 27 years (105-78 BC) and was notorious for his ruthlessness. On one occasion late in his reign, he crucified 800 captives and drove thousands into exile. At his death he was succeeded by his wife Alexandra (aka Shlomit/Salome), who was well-liked by the people (for her opposition to his ruthless policies) and  notable for her role in the rise of the Pharisees.  (Josephus, Jewish War 1.(ch. 5) 107-13)

107] Καταλείπει δὲ τὴν βασιλείαν Ἀλεξάνδρᾳ τῇ γυναικὶ πεπεισμένος ταύτῃ μάλιστ' ἂν ὑπακοῦσαι τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, ἐπειδὴ ... καὶ ταῖς παρανομίαις ἀνθισταμένη τὸν δῆμον εἰς εὔνοιαν προσηγάγετο. [108] καὶ οὐ διήμαρτεν τῆς ἐλπίδος: ἐκράτησεν γὰρ τῆς ἀρχῆς τὸ γύναιον διὰ δόξαν εὐσεβείας: ἠκρίβου γὰρ δὴ μάλιστα τοῦ νόμου τὰ πάτρια καὶ τοὺς πλημμελοῦντας εἰς τοὺς ἱεροὺς νόμους ἐξ ἀρχῆς προεβάλλετο. [109] δύο δ' αὐτῇ παίδων ὄντων ἐξ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὸν μὲν πρεσβύτερον Ὑρκανὸν διά τε τὴν ἡλικίαν ἀποδείκνυσιν ἀρχιερέα καὶ ἄλλως ὄντα νωθέστερον ἢ ὥστε ἐνοχλεῖν περὶ τῶν ὅλων, τὸν δὲ νεώτερον Ἀριστόβουλον διὰ θερμότητα κατεῖχεν ἰδιώτην. [110] Παραφύονται δὲ αὐτῆς εἰς τὴν ἐξουσίαν Φαρισαῖοι, σύνταγμά τι Ἰουδαίων δοκοῦν εὐσεβέστερον εἶναι τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τοὺς νόμους ἀκριβέστερον ἀφηγεῖσθαι. [111] τούτοις περισσὸν δή τι προσεῖχεν ἡ Ἀλεξάνδρα σεσοβημένη περὶ τὸ θεῖον. οἱ δὲ τὴν ἁπλότητα τῆς ἀνθρώπου κατὰ μικρὸν ὑπιόντες ἤδη καὶ διοικηταὶ τῶν ὅλων ἐγίνοντο διώκειν τε καὶ κατάγειν οὓς ἐθέλοιεν, λύειν τε καὶ δεσμεῖν. καθόλου δὲ αἱ μὲν ἀπολαύσεις τῶν βασιλείων ἐκείνων ἦσαν, τὰ δ' ἀναλώματα καὶ αἱ δυσχέρειαι τῆς Ἀλεξάνδρας. [112] δεινὴ δ' ἦν τὰ μείζω διοικεῖν, δύναμίν τε ἀεὶ συγκροτοῦσα διπλασίονα κατέστησεν καὶ ξενικὴν συνήγαγεν οὐκ ὀλίγην, ὡς μὴ μόνον κρατύνεσθαι τὸ οἰκεῖον ἔθνος, φοβερὰν δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἔξωθεν εἶναι δυνάσταις. ἐκράτει δὲ τῶν μὲν ἄλλων αὐτή, Φαρισαῖοι δ' αὐτῆς. [113] Διογένην γοῦν τινα τῶν ἐπισήμων φίλον Ἀλεξάνδρῳ γεγενημένον κτείνουσιν αὐτοὶ σύμβουλον ἐγκαλοῦντες γεγονέναι περὶ τῶν ἀνασταυρωθέντων ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ὀκτακοσίων. ἐνῆγον δὲ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδραν εἰς τὸ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους διαχειρίσασθαι τῶν παροξυνάντων ἐπ' ἐκείνους τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον: ἐνδιδούσης δ' ὑπὸ δεισιδαιμονίας ἀνῄρουν οὓς ἐθέλοιεν αὐτοί.

βασιλεία - kingdom perfect passive from πείθω >>’persuaded/ convinced (that)’ with indirect statement; ὑπακοῦσαι = submit/obey; ἀνθ-ισταμαι –stand up against; προσ-αγομαι  gain/acquire;            εὔνοια – good will δια + ἁμαρτάνω  -be wrong/mistaken; ἐλπις  - hope; τὸ γύναιον << γυνή ~ female;  δόξα = reputation; εὐσέβεια = piety;   ἀκριβόω = be strict/precise τὰ πάτρια = (ancestral) traditions πλημμελέω = violate/transgress; προ-βαλλομαι =  throw out/remove ἡλικία = age (implictly, older) νωθής = lazy; ἐν-οχλέω = bother/be troublesome (>> ‘too lazy to get involved’)  θερμότης = hot temper; ἰδιώτης = private citizen παραφύομαι = grow (up) alongside ἐξουσία = power;  σύνταγμα = contingent/group δοκοῦν = neut. particip. < δοκέω, ‘seem’ εὐσεβής = pious/righteous; ἀκριβής = strict ἀφηγεῖσθαι = explanatory infin. = ‘at interpreting’ περισσὸν =excessively; προσ-εχω = heed/be attentive (to + dat.) σοβέομαι = be excited/enthusiastic ἁπλότης = simplicity;  κατὰ μικρὸν = little by little  ὕπ-ειμι = go stealthily;   διοικητής = manager; κατ-άγω = bring back (from exile) δεσμεῖν = to imprison; καθόλου = entirely ἀπόλαυσις = enjoyment; τὰ βασίλεια = royal affairs ἀνάλωμα = expense;  δυς-χέρεια  = hardship δεινός = clever at (+ infin.); δύναμις = (military) power; συγ-κροτέω  = recruit διπλασίων = double/ twice in size ξενική (στρατία) = mercenary army (lit. ‘foreign’) κρατύνομαι = strengthen (control) φοβερός = fearsome/formidable ἔξωθεν = outside, abroad ἐπί-σημος  = well known, distinguished  σύμβουλος = advisor, instigator ἐγ-καλέω = charge, accuse ὀκτακόσιοι = 800; ἐν-άγω = lead on τὸ ... διαχειρίσασθαι – articular infin. lit. ‘get in (her) hands’, i.e. to kill. οἱ παρ-οξύναντες = the ones who spurred (Alexander to kill the 800) δεισιδαιμονία = lit. ‘fear of god’ ἀν-αιρέω = kill/do away with ἐθέλοιεν – optative = ἐθέλουσι