Cleopatra Selene II (Greek:η Κλεοπάτρα Σελήνη, 25 December 40 BC-6 AD), also known as Cleopatra VIII of Egypt or Cleopatra VIII was a Ptolemaic Princess and was the only daughter to Greek Ptolemaic queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Roman triumvir Mark Antony. She was the fraternal twin of Ptolemaic prince Alexander Helios. Her second name in ancient Greek means "moon", being the counterpart of her twin brother‘s second name Helios, meaning "sun". 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.
Early life
Cleopatra Selene II was born on 25 December 40 BC in Alexandria. Her parents were defeated by Octavian (future
Roman Emperor Caesar
Augustus), during a naval
battle at
Actium,
Greece in 31 BC. In 30 BC, 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 two orphans in heavy golden chains in the streets. The chains were so heavy that they couldn’t walk. Octavian gave the siblings to
Octavia Minor to be raised in her household in Rome. Octavia Minor, who became their guardian, was Octavian's second eldest sister and was their father's former wife.
Marriage
Between 26 BC-20 BC, Augustus arranged for Cleopatra to marry
African King
Juba II of
Numidia in Rome. The Emperor gave to Cleopatra as a wedding present a huge
dowry and she became an ally to Rome. By then her brothers,
Alexander Helios and
Ptolemy Philadelphus had died, probably from illness. When Cleopatra married Juba, she was the only surviving member of the
Ptolemaic dynasty.
Juba and Cleopatra could not return to Numidia as it had been provincialized in 46 BC. The couple was sent to Mauretania, an unorganized territory that needed Roman supervision. They renamed their new capital Caesarea (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 at Caesarea and at another city Volubilis, were built and display a rich mixture of Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman architectural styles. The children of Cleopatra and Juba were:
Ptolemy of Mauretania born in ca 10 BC-5 BC
A daughter of Cleopatra and Juba, whose name has not been recorded, is mentioned in an inscription. It has been suggested that Drusilla of Mauretania was a daughter, but she may have been a granddaughter instead. Drusilla is described as a granddaughter of Antony and Cleopatra, and may have been a daughter of Ptolemy of Mauretania.
Historical evidence
There are few surviving written sources on the life of Cleopatra. Surviving coins and monuments suggest that Cleopatra inherited the iron will and perseverance of the Ptolemaic women. Her various titles on surviving coinage are in Greek:
ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΑ ΚΛΕΟΠΑΤΡΑ or
ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣ ΚΛΕΟΠΑΤΡΑ, which means
Queen Cleopatra. These titles were also used on coinage by her late mother. Another title she used on coinage was
CΕΛΕNΕ or
Selene. Cleopatra seemed to have been religious, patriotic of her Egyptian Greek heritage, though she ignored her Roman heritage. She wanted to retain and continue the Ptolemaic Legacy.
When Cleopatra died, she was placed in the Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania in actual Algeria east of Caesarea that was built by her and Juba, which is still visible. A fragmentary inscription was dedicated to Juba and Cleopatra, as the King and Queen of Mauretania. The following epigram by Greek Epigrammatist Crinagoras of Mytilene is considered to be Cleopatra’s eulogy.
:''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.
In fiction
Cleopatra is mentioned in the novels by Robert Graves, I, Claudius and Claudius the God.
Cleopatra is a significant character in Wallace Breem's historical novel The Legate's Daughter (1974), Phoenix/Orion Books Ltd. ISBN 0 75381 895 7
Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran (2009) tells the story of Cleopatra's early life; from the demise of her parents until her marriage to Juba II of Numidia.
Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray (2011) also follows Cleopatra Selene from the tragic fall of Alexandria to the days before her marriage to Juba II of Numidia.
Querida Alejandría by María García Esperón (Bogotá 2007: Norma, ISBN 9580498458), a novel in the form of a letter by Cleopatra to the people of Alexandria.
Cleopatra's Daughter written by Andrea Ashton (1979) also tells the story of Cleopatra Selene's early life.
She and her brother appear briefly in the television series Rome.
Ancestry
Sources
The primary modern source, which includes all the ancient material, is D. W. Roller, The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene (London 2003).
Plutarch - Makers of Rome - Mark Antony
Suetonius - The Lives of the Twelve Caesars - Augustus & Caligula
Cassius Dio - Roman History
Encyclopaedia Britannica - Juba II
External links
Portrait Bust of Cleopatra
Coin Depicting Cleopatra
References
Category:40 BC births
Category:6 deaths
Category:Ptolemaic dynasty
Category:1st-century BC women
Category:1st-century women
Category:History of Numidia
Category:Hellenistic Egyptians
Category:Twin people
Category:Roman client rulers
Category:Queens consort
