Although Oriental wisdom advised that a birthday should be celebrated with mourning, a prince had no reason for so doing.

Herod gave a banquet in honour of the day, and invited all the most important people in the province in order that while enjoying themselves they might have the opportunity of doing homage to him.

He enjoyed himself royally, for Herodias, his brother's wife, was present, and her daughter, who was as lovely as her mother.

She danced before him a series of dances which showed her beautiful figure, set off by the flowing white gown confined at the waist with a girdle of gold, to every advantage.

Intoxicated by the feast and inflamed by the girl's beauty, the prince approached her, put his arm, from which the purple cloak had fallen back so that it was bare, round her warm neck, and held a goblet of wine to her lips.