Cleopatra Selene II
Who was Cleopatra Selene II?
Queen consort of Mauretania from 25 to 5 BC
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Cleopatra Selene II (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Cleopatra Selene II (40 BC – c. 5 BC) was a Ptolemaic princess who became Queen of Mauretania when she married Juba II. She was born in Alexandria to Egyptian Queen Cleopatra VII and Roman Triumvir Mark Antony and was the last of the Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt for three centuries. Her early years were filled with the political chaos of her parents' fight against Octavian, later known as Augustus Caesar.
After Antony and Cleopatra were defeated at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC and took their lives in 30 BC, Cleopatra Selene and her twin brother Alexander Helios, then ten years old, were taken to Rome as captives. Octavian placed them with his sister Octavia the Younger, who had previously been married to Mark Antony. This move was both politically wise and merciful, as Octavia took care of the children of her former husband's Egyptian queen.
In 25 BC, Augustus arranged Cleopatra Selene's marriage to Juba II, the scholarly king of Mauretania, providing both rulers with a legitimate royal lineage and ensuring their loyalty to Rome. The marriage was successful both politically and personally, as they jointly ruled Mauretania for twenty years. Cleopatra Selene had a significant say in governmental matters, especially trade policy and architecture.
During their rule, Mauretania achieved great prosperity and cultural growth, becoming a crucial trade center between Africa and the Mediterranean and generating substantial wealth. Cleopatra Selene's Egyptian background and education influenced the planning and construction in their capital cities. They had at least one son, Ptolemy of Mauretania, who inherited the throne. Their descendants, particularly their likely granddaughter Drusilla, continued to shape Roman aristocratic families for generations.
Before Fame
Cleopatra Selene's rise started even before she was born, thanks to the political alliance between her parents, Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony. In the Donations of Alexandria in 34 BC, when she was about six, she was named queen of Cyrenaica and Libya as part of Antony's allocation of eastern territories. However, these titles were mostly symbolic because she was so young and there was a civil war happening.
After her parents were defeated and died, Cleopatra Selene grew up in Rome under the care of Octavia. This time in Rome gave her an understanding of Roman customs and politics while she still kept her Egyptian royal roots. Her education probably included Greek literature, Egyptian traditions, and Roman administrative skills, getting her ready for future royal duties that became possible through a marriage set up by Augustus.
Key Achievements
- Successfully ruled Mauretania as co-monarch for twenty years, transforming it into a prosperous kingdom
- Established extensive trade networks that connected North Africa with Mediterranean commerce
- Preserved Ptolemaic royal lineage through her descendants who married into Roman nobility
- Oversaw major architectural and urban development projects in Mauretanian cities
- Maintained political stability in a strategically important region during the early Roman Empire
Did You Know?
- 01.She was named after the Greek moon goddess Selene, continuing the Ptolemaic tradition of celestial names
- 02.Her twin brother Alexander Helios disappeared from historical records after arriving in Rome, suggesting he may have died young
- 03.She likely spoke Greek, Latin, and Egyptian, making her trilingual like her famous mother
- 04.Coins minted during her reign in Mauretania show her wearing the traditional Egyptian royal uraeus serpent crown
- 05.Archaeological evidence suggests she initiated the construction of a lighthouse at Cherchell modeled after Alexandria's famous Pharos