Julia Urania
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(Julia) Urania or Urania (Greek: η Ιουλìα Ουρανìа, Latin: Iulia Urania or IVLIA URANIA PIR2 I 710) was a woman who lived in the first century. Urania married the Roman client king Ptolemy of Mauretania. Ptolemy of Mauretania was an only grandson to African King Juba I of Numidia, Greek Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and the youngest grandson to Roman Triumvir Mark Antony.
Urania became Queen of Mauretania when she married Ptolemy. Ptolemy and Urania married at an unknown date in the first century and Urania borne Ptolemy a daughter called Drusilla (known as Drusilla of Mauretania) who was born about 38.
Urania is only known through a funeral inscription, found in Cherchell, Algeria. Cherchell was known as Caesaria, the capital of Mauretania, in the Roman Empire. This inscription was known, through a funeral inscription of Urania’s freewoman Julia Bodina. Bodina ascribed her as ’Queen Julia Urania’.
Modern historians have made two theories on the origins of this Mauretanian Queen. Julia Urania could have been a mistress from the lower class. Urania was a nickname given to a favorite mistress of a harem. The nickname derived from the Muses. She was probably a member of the Royal Mauretanian Court.
The second theory (which is more widely believed and accepted) is that Julia Urania could be related to the Royal Family of Emesa (modern Homs, Syria). The Royal Family of Emesa, were at the time a leading kingdom in the Roman East and they also took the Latin name ‘Julius’ or ‘Julia’ to name various members of the family. Not much information is known on this Royal Family.
The name Urania or Uranius is a name of Emesan origin. She wasn’t the only Queen to have the name Urania. The Parthian Queen and a wife to the Parthian King Phraates IV, Thea Urania (Astarte) has the name Urania. Urania is an ancient Greek word meaning ‘Sky’ or ‘Universe’ and is also an ancient and modern Greek name.
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- E. Groag, A. Stein, L. Petersen - e.a. (edd.), Prosopographia Imperii Romani saeculi I, II et III, Berlin, 1933 - . PIR2 I 710
