Mauretania. Caesarea. Juba II with Cleopatra Selene 25 BC-AD 23. Struck circa AD 11-23
Denarius AR

19 mm, 3,99 g

REX IVBA, diademed head of Juba II to right / Crocodile standing to left on ground line; KΛЄOΠATPA above, BACIΛICCA below.

good very fine

Mazard 340; MAA 104; SNG Copenhagen 592.

Juba II, the King of Mauretania, and Cleopatra Selene, the daughter of Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Mark Antony, were one of the most fascinating royal couples of the ancient world. Their union symbolized the merging of two powerful legacies: the royal line of North Africa and the fabled Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt. Juba II was the son of King Juba I of Numidia, a kingdom in North Africa. After his father's defeat by Julius Caesar during Rome's civil war, Juba II was taken to Rome as a young boy. Raised in the Roman court, he became highly educated, studying Greek, Roman, and North African culture, which shaped him into a well-respected scholar and ruler. The Romans eventually restored him to power, making him the king of Mauretania around 25 BC, a kingdom that stretched across what is now Algeria and Morocco. Cleopatra Selene, on the other hand, had an illustrious but tragic lineage. She was the daughter of the famous Cleopatra VII, the last pharaoh of Egypt, and the Roman general Mark Antony. After the defeat and deaths of her parents following the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, Cleopatra Selene was taken to Rome, where she was raised by Octavia, the sister of Emperor Augustus and widow of her father, Antony. In time, Augustus arranged her marriage to Juba II, possibly as a political move to cement Roman influence in North Africa. Together, Juba II and Cleopatra Selene ruled Mauretania as a client kingdom of Rome. Their reign was marked by prosperity, cultural fusion, and intellectual achievement. Juba II, a scholar in his own right, was known for his writings on geography, history, and the arts. He encouraged Greek and Roman culture in his kingdom while also preserving African traditions, making Mauretania a thriving center of learning and culture. Cleopatra Selene, with her royal Egyptian heritage, likely contributed to this cultural blend, introducing elements of her Ptolemaic ancestry into their court. Their capital, Caesarea (modern-day Cherchell in Algeria), became a hub of Mediterranean culture under their rule, combining Roman, Greek, and Egyptian influences. Despite being under Roman oversight, they were able to maintain a degree of independence, and their kingdom flourished as a crossroads between different civilizations.