Tigranes was born and raised in Herod's court in Jerusalem. After the death of Tigranes' father in 7 BC, Herod forced his mother to return to Cappadocia, leaving her children under the sole custody of Herod in Jerusalem. Tigranes and his brother remained under Herod's guardianship so he could be able to control their fates. Another son of Herod's, Antipater, was concerned for Tigranes and his brother as he expected them to attain higher stations, because of the assistance Antipater considered likely from their maternal grandfather Archelaus.