Queen Cleopatra Selene - Antony and Cleopatra's Forgotten Daughter

Bust and artistic recreation of Cleopatra Selene II

This post takes a much deeper look into what turned out to be a rather popular thread on my official Legionary Books Facebook Page.

The story of Cleopatra's oft-forgotten daughter, Cleopatra Selene II, and their family can best be described as "complicated." First off, in light of that atrocious Netflix series claiming to be a documentary, let's sort out the whole racial elephant in the room and get that out of the way. I don't care what Jada Pinkett Smith says, Cleopatra was not black. Nor was she white. She looked nothing like Adele James or Elizabeth Taylor. Heck, she wasn't even Egyptian! The Ptolemies ruled Egypt, but were ethnically Alexandrian Greek and Macedonian. And because they were obsessed with keeping their bloodlines "pure," they were notoriously inbred. And we're not even talking cousins. Cleopatra's first two husbands were also her brothers! Given the attention-to-detail ancient artists and sculptures gave their subjects (unlike Medieval art, where every king and queen tended to look exactly the same), we have a reasonable knowledge of how people looked.

Bust of Cleopatra VII and a recreated likeness

Now that that's out of the way, we can carry on. Without going too much into the political turmoil which engulfed Egypt during the mid to late 1st century BC, suffice it to say, Cleopatra and her siblings were constantly fighting each other for control. Enlisting the aid of the Romans, specifically Julius Caesar, Cleopatra became Pharaoh and Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in 51 BC, when she was around nineteen. Her first two marriages to her brothers were thankfully childless. It was with Julius Caesar, who became her lover soon after helping her secure the throne, that Cleopatra had her first son, Caesarion, born in 47 BC. Caesarion was just shy of three when his father was assassinated in the Rome.

It was in 41 BC that Cleopatra met Mark Antony, who would become the father of her remaining children. Antony, who was around twelve years older than Cleopatra, had served under Caesar as one of his generals. He'd also already been thrice married. His third wife, Fulvia, led a short-lived civil war against Antony's fellow Triumvir, Octavian, while Antony was in the east. Fulvia was further enraged at Antony's affair with Cleopatra and that the Egyptian queen was pregnant with his child. Turned out it was two children. In the late summer, Cleopatra gave birth to a twin boy and girl, Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene. The names Helios and Selene meant "sun" and "moon" in Greek, and were affectionate names for their children.

Bust and recreation of Mark Antony, famous Roman general and Cleopatra Selene's father

Fulvia died at some point in 40 BC (exact date unknown). Octavian seized the opportunity to draw Antony away from Cleopatra's influence, which he feared could jeopardise Roman interests in the east. He compelled the senate to decree that Antony should marry Octavian's recently widowed sister, Octavia. Despite Octavia being six years the elder, in Rome's extremely patriarchal society, her brother was head of the family and could dictate who she married. Octavia therefore married Antony in October 40 BC, just five months after the death of her first husband, Marcellus, and not long after the twins, Selene and Helios, were born. She had a house full of children, two daughters and a son from her first marriage, plus Antony's two sons, Antyllus and Iullus, from his marriage to Fulvia. Selene and Helios remained in Egypt with their mother.

The marriage between Octavia and Antony proved disastrous, though they did have two daughters, both named Antonia (Note: In Roman naming conventions, daughters were always given the female variant of their father's names). Antonia the Elder was born in September, 39 BC, Antonia the Younger in January, 36 BC. By this point, Antony was back in Egypt, his affair with Cleopatra resuming. Their youngest son, Ptolemy Philadelphus, was born in September, 36 BC. Despite this betrayal, Octavia remained a loyal and supportive spouse, bringing both troops and supplies to the east after Antony's disastrous Parthian Campaign in 35 BC. She also helped strengthen the bonds between her brother and two of his strongest allies, Gaius Maecenus, and Marcus Agrippa. Agrippa became the right hand of Octavian in the coming strife against his brother-in-law.

Octavia, elder sister of Octavian (the future-Emperor Augustus), and fourth wife of Mark Antony

Entire books have been written on the conflict and eventual civil war, sometimes called The Last War of the Roman Republic, so I will not go into too much detail here. Suffice it to say, when Antony divorced Octavia in 32 BC, while attempting to wrest control of the east with the aid of Cleopatra, war became inevitable. The fighting went very badly for Antony and Cleopatra. Despite being around twenty years older than Octavian and his senior general, Agrippa, Antony constantly found himself bested. Most famous was the catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Actium in September, 31 BC. Nearly the entire Egyptian fleet, consisting of mostly hulking galleons, were either destroyed or captured, having been torn apart by the much smaller and more manoeuvrable Roman warships, bombarding them with arrows and flaming catapult shot. Antony and Cleopatra both managed to escape. However, while the war would continue for almost another year, their defeat was inevitable. During the short Siege of Alexandria, Antony's forces were once again defeated, with most deserting to Octavian.

Frieze from the early 1st century, depicting the Battle of Actium

By late August / early September of 30 BC, Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide. Their deaths marked the end of 3,000 years of Egyptian rule by the Pharaohs. Cleopatra has the rather ignominious distinction of being the last Egyptian Pharaoh. Though the title was offered to Octavian, he never used it. The old Ptolemaic Kingdom was immediately annexed by Rome during its final transition from Republic to Empire. Three years later, Octavian was given the name Augustus by the Roman senate, which he would use for the remainder of his life. And while he claimed to have "restored the Republic," only taking the title of "princeps," or "first citizen," in truth, Augustus held more power than even the ancient kings of Rome from its early days. Despite the facade, Augustus was now the first Emperor of Rome.

But what of Cleopatra Selene and her brothers? The twins were ten years old when their parents ended their lives. Where they were during the war is unknown, only that they, along with all of Antony and Cleopatra's respective children were quickly taken into Roman custody. Caesarion, Cleopatra's seventeen-year-old son with Julius Caesar, was executed. Octavian's reasoning, "There can be only one Caesar." It is likely he feared a biological son of Caesar emerging as a threat, eager to avenge his mother. Octavian also executed Mark Antony's eldest son with Fulvia, Antyllus, who was also seventeen. The reasons for this are unknown, especially since he spared Antyllus' brother, Iullus, who was just four years younger.

Antony and Cleopatra's three children were all spared and taken to Rome. As children of the defeated enemy queen and the Roman traitor, they were forced to walk in Octavian's triumphal parade wearing gold chains. They marched behind an effigy of their mother holding a serpent to her arm; the story being Cleopatra committed suicide by letting a poisonous asp bite her. Their piteous plight elicited much sympathy from the citizens of Rome, regardless of their hatred for Antony and Cleopatra.

Afterwards, they were placed in the care of Octavia. One can only imagine how she felt, being compelled by her younger brother, who was on the cusp of becoming emperor, to raise the children of her faithless former husband and his lover. The exact ages of Octavia's eldest daughters from her first husband are unknown, only that they were older than her son, Marcellus, who was born in 42 BC. Selene and Helios were two years younger. How well did they get on? Did they coexist like siblings, even though Marcellus had no relation to any of Cleopatra's children? And what of the two Antonias? Antonia the Elder was only about six months younger than the twins. Antonia the Younger was nine months older than Ptolemy. And unlike Marcellus and his elder sisters, Cleopatra's children were the Antonias' half-siblings. We'll never know what their home life was like. Though given how contemporary historians praised Octavia's kindness and virtue, it is conceivable that she acted like as much of a mother as she could. This would be difficult with the twins, who were old enough to remember their real mother. And what were their thoughts regarding their father, who they scarcely knew? Antony had been off fighting wars for much of their short lives. Certainly, they would have known he betrayed the woman who now raised them, in order to be with their mother. Young Ptolemy's very existence came from their father's faithlessness ... Even the best therapists couldn't sort that family out!

We don't know what became of Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus, as they completely disappear from history. There is simply no mention in any source of them surviving to adulthood, and childhood mortality was high. All we know is Cleopatra Selene was raised in a household of adoptive and half-siblings, all of whom were Roman.

Bronze statue, thought to be of Alexander Helios

As Selene grew to adulthood, Octavia appreciated her sharp mind and intellect, hiring the best tutors to give her a thorough education. Even Augustus, the man who'd brought about the deaths of her parents and ordered the executions of her brothers, Caesarion and Antyllus, grew to respect the young woman. Sensing her political value, Octavia arranged for Selene to marry King Juba II of Numidia. His father, Juba I, was deposed by Julius Caesar in 46 BC for aligning himself to Pompey Magnus during the civil war between Pompey and Caesar. The younger Juba, born in 48 BC, was of Berber ethnicity and claimed to be descended from Hannibal on his mother's side, though this was never proven. Being just a boy of two or three when Caesar brought him to Rome, Juba was raised and educated as a Roman, even being granted citizenship. He later served in an unknown military capacity beside Octavian during the civil war against Mark Antony, including the Battle of Actium. Ironic that Antony would become his posthumous father-in-law! 

King Juba II of Numidia, later Mauretania

Though named King of Numidia in 30 BC, five years later, Eastern Numidia, including Carthage, was annexed into the Roman Proconsular province of North Africa. However, Augustus not only gave Juba western Numidia, he expanded his ally's kingdom westward, absorbing Mauretania, whose previous ruler had died without an heir. Not long after becoming client-king of the greatly expanded Kingdom of Mauretania, Juba married Cleopatra Selene, with Augustus giving her a massive dowry. Mauretania thrived under their rule, with Selene greatly influencing the kingdom's investment in science and the arts. Trade also thrived between Mauretania and the western provinces of the Roman Empire. Selene seems to have forged an interesting relationship with the former enemy of her family, seeing how she and Juba named their capital city Caesaria (modern-day Cherchell, Algeria) in Augustus Caesar's honour. Mauretanian coins became highly valued, due to their precious metal content and quality. The historian, Plutarch, referred to Juba, and by extension, Selene, as "One of the most gifted rulers of the time."

Juba and Selene had two children: A unknown daughter, presumed to have died young, and a son named Gaius Julius Ptolemaeus, more commonly referred to as Ptolemy. Given that Juba allowed his son to be named Ptolemy speaks to the respect and reverence he beheld his wife. The two were frequent visitors to Rome, and always honoured guests of Emperor Augustus and Empress Livia. Selene was regarded as beautiful, intelligent, and a skilled diplomat. Clearly, she inherited some of her mother's charismatic personality.

Though the exact date is disputed, Queen Cleopatra Selene is speculated to have died of an unknown illness in 5 BC around the age of thirty-five. However, renowned Egyptologist, Zahi Hawass, believes she died around 8 AD, making her forty-seven. Regardless of the exact date, it is known she predeceased her husband by at least a couple decades. The renowned Greek epigrammatist, Crinagoras of Mytilene, wrote a very moving eulogy to Selene:

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.

Some historians speculate this not only eludes to Selene's name meaning "Moon," but also that she died during a lunar eclipse. Juba had a magnificent tomb constructed for his late wife, located in modern-day Tipaza, Algeria. While Juba married an Anatolian princess named Glaphyra around 7 AD, it was very short-lived and they divorced soon after. He passed away in 23 AD at the age of seventy, having ruled over Numidia and Mauretania for forty-seven years. He was buried next to his beloved queen.

Ptolemy, who'd been named co-monarch in 20 AD, succeeded his father as sole King of Mauretania. He ruled for twenty years before being murdered on the orders of Emperor Gaius Caligula at the age of fifty-three. After which, Mauretania was completely absorbed into the Roman Empire. Ptolemy and Gaius Caligula were actually kinsmen. Ptolemy's mother, Selene, was aunt to Gaius' father, Germanicus. Ptolemy's daughter, Drusilla, was only two years old when her father was killed. Drusilla was taken to Rome, and when Emperor Gaius was assassinated a year later, she was cared for in the home of Emperor Claudius.

King Gaius Julius Ptolemaeus

Cleopatra Selene's relationship with the Julio-Claudian Dynasty is often overlooked. We remember that Cleopatra was her mother, while sometimes forgetting Mark Antony was her father. Selene's sister, Antonia Minor, was only three-and-a-half years younger than she, so they would have spent at least a few years in the same household before Selene married King Juba. Antonia went on to marry Nero Claudius Drusus, son of Empress Livia, step-son of Emperor Augustus, and younger brother of the future-Emperor Tiberius. Their children were: Germanicus, Livilla, and the future-Emperor Claudius.

Antonia, daughter of Octavia and Mark Antony, half-sister of Cleopatra Selene

Through her father, Selene was an aunt or great-aunt to three Roman emperors, Gaius Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. Through her son, Ptolemy, she was an ancestor of Empress Julia Domna, consort to Emperor Septimius Severus, who ruled from 193 to 211 AD. This means she was also a direct ancestor to the much maligned Emperor Caracalla.

Selene's imperial relations: great-nephew Emperor Gaius Caligula, nephew Emperor Claudius, great-great nephew Emperor Nero, direct descendant Emperor Caracalla. Sadly, only one of these (Claudius) has a favourable reputation amongst scholars and historians

Born into one of the most turbulent times in Ancient History, with two of the most famous parents ever, Cleopatra Selene often gets overlooked. Sadly, we know so little about her personality, and we have no writings telling her perspective. We do know that being the daughter of Antony and Cleopatra came with its own stigma to overcome. There are examples of Antonia being addressed as "Mark Antony's daughter," and it was not meant as a compliment. Yet even with what little information we do have, we know Selene was respected by her parents' enemies, admired by the Romans, revered by the people she co-ruled, and beloved by her husband. She inherited her parents' best qualities while avoiding the worst. Whether she died at thirty-five or forty-seven, her life was far too short.

The Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania, burial site of King Juba and Queen Cleopatra Selene, in Tipaza, Algeria

I highly recommend clicking on the above image to watch a fantastic video, which provides a brief and fascinating look into the life of Queen Cleopatra Selene. It is also where the artistic recreations of she, her husband, and son came from.

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