Cleopatra Selene II
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Cleopatra Selene II (40 - c. 5 BCE) was a member of the Ptolemaic Dynasty who became the queen of Mauretania upon her marriage to King Juba II of Numidia (48 BCE - 23 CE). Though more obscure than her famous mother, Cleopatra VII (69-30 BCE), Cleopatra Selene II was a capable and respected ruler in her own right. She is considered one of the last great queens of the Hellenistic period, part of a long tradition of powerful women that included Arsinoe II Philadelphus (l. c. 318/311 - c. 270/268 BCE).
Cleopatra Selene II and her twin brother Alexander Helios (40 - c. late 1st century BCE) were the children of the Roman triumvir Mark Antony (83-30 BCE). Cleopatra Selene II’s contemporaries claimed that she was her mother’s equal in charm and intelligence and that she surpassed her in beauty. Much of Cleopatra Selene II’s early life was spent in Alexandria, Egypt. After Augustus (r. 27 BCE - 14 CE) conquered Egypt in 30 BCE, he took Cleopatra Selene II and her brothers back to Rome as his captives. Cleopatra Selene II was fostered by Augustus’ sister Octavia Minor (69-11 BCE) in Rome. She married Juba II of Numidia c. 25 BCE, and they permanently moved to Mauretania.