Acme

Acme (, died 5 BC) was a Jewish slave and personal maid in the service of the Empress Livia Drusilla, wife of Caesar Augustus.

Biography Little is known about Acme's early life, other than she was a slave in the service of Empress Livia. She comes to prominence later in life when she was embroiled in a family conflict between Herod the Great and his son Antipater, which took place during the final nine years of Herod's life. The purpose of the letters was to make Herod believe that Salome was conspiring against him by writing to important people in Rome. After her death, Augustus allowed Herod to decide on the fate of Antipater; on returning to Judea, he executed his son immediately, five days before his own death. However, there are discrepancies between how the story is related between the texts. The execution of Acme is also used as evidence to date Herod's death more closely.