Cleopatra Selene (II)
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- This article is in reference to the daughter of Cleopatra VII and Roman Triumvir Mark Antony. For the daughter of Ptolemy VIII and Cleopatra III, see Cleopatra Selene (I).
Cleopatra Selene II (Greek: η Κλεοπάτρα Σελήνη) (25 December 40 BC - 6), also known as Cleopatra VIII of Egypt was a Ptolemaic Princess and was an only daughter to Greek Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Roman Triumvir Mark Antony. She was the younger twin to Ptolemaic Prince Alexander Helios. According to Plutarch (Antony - clause 36), her second name in Ancient Greek means ‘Moon‘. She was of Greek and Roman heritage. Cleopatra was born, raised and educated in Alexandria, Egypt. In late 34 BC, during the Donations of Alexandria, she was made ruler of Cyrenaica and Libya.
Her parents were defeated by Octavian (future Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus), during the naval battle at Actium, Greece in 31 BC. The next year, her parents committed suicide as Octavian and his army invaded Egypt.
Octavian took Cleopatra and her brothers from Egypt to Italy. Octavian celebrated his military triumph in Rome by parading the three orphans in heavy golden chains through the streets of Rome. The chains were so heavy, they couldn’t walk. Octavian gave the three siblings to Octavia Minor to be raised. She became their guardian, was Octavian's elder sister and was their father's former wife.
Between 26 BC-20 BC, Augustus arranged for Cleopatra to marry African King Juba II of Numidia. As a wedding present the emperor gave her a huge dowry and appointed her Queen of Numidia. In return Cleopatra became an ally to Rome. By then her brothers, Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus had died, probably through illness or murder.
Juba and Cleopatra returned to Numidia but didn’t rule there for long. The local Numidians disapproved that Juba became too Romanized, which caused civil unrest. The couple were forced to leave Numidia and move to Mauretania. They renamed their new capital Iol to Caesaria (modern Cherchell Algeria), in honor of the Emperor.
Cleopatra is said to have exercised great influence on policies that Juba created. Through her influence, the Mauretanian Kingdom flourished. Mauretania exported and traded well throughout the Mediterranean. The construction and sculptural projects (including the mausoleum where the couple are buried) at Caesaria and at another city Volubillis or Volubilis, were built and display a rich mixture of Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman architectural styles.
The children of Cleopatra and Juba are:
- Cleopatra of Mauretania, a possible daughter
- Ptolemy of Mauretania (1 BC - 40)
- Drusilla of Mauretania (born 5)
Unfortunately, there is no specific surviving written sources on Cleopatra’s life. Surviving coins and monuments suggest that Cleopatra inherited the iron will and perseverance of the Ptolemaic women. Cleopatra seemed to have been religious, patriotic of her Egyptian and Greek heritage and thus ignoring her Roman heritage. She wanted to retain and continue the Ptolemaic Legacy.
An epigram by Krinagorasis is thought to be an eulogy of Cleopatra’s:
- The moon herself grew dark, rising at sunset,
- Covering her suffering in the night,
- Because she saw her beautiful namesake, Selene,
- Breathless, descending to Hades,
- With her she had had the beauty of her light in common,
- And mingled her own darkness with her death.
Queen Zenobia of Palmyra is descended from her. Cleopatra is mentioned in the novels by Robert Graves, I Claudius and Claudius the God.
