Juba II of Mauretania (

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

: ''Gaius Iulius Iuba''; or ;Roller, Duane W. (2003) ''The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene'' "Routledge (UK)". pp. 1–3. . c. 48 BC – AD 23) was the son of Juba I and client king of

Numidia Numidia was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunisia and Libya. The polity was originally divided between ...

(30–25 BC) and Mauretania (25 BC – AD 23). Aside from his very successful reign, he was a highly respected scholar and author. His first wife and co-ruler was Cleopatra Selene II, daughter of Queen Cleopatra VII of Ptolemaic

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

and Roman Triumvir Mark Antony.

Life

Early life and education

Juba II was a Berber prince from

. He was the only child and heir of King Juba I of Numidia; his mother's identity is unknown, though Juba II claimed to be a descendant of General Hannibal (Scol. Lucan, Pharsalia 8.287). In 46 BC, his father was defeated by

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

(in Thapsus, North Africa), and in 40 BC Numidia became a Roman province. His father had been an ally of the Roman General

Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey ( ) or Pompey the Great, was a Roman general and statesman who was prominent in the last decades of the Roman Republic. ...

. Several modern scholars cite his age at Caesar's triumph in 46 BC as four or six giving rises to the typically cited birth year range of 52–50 BC, which his biographer, Duane Roller, believes is incorrect. Roller instead places his birth in early 48 BC because the Greek term ''brephos'' was used for him which means infant. The word for a child of age 4 to 6 is ''pais'' which was not used for him in the ancient sources. Therefore, Roller places his age in the triumph at anywhere from 2 months to 2 years, which actually indicates a birth year range between 48 and 46 BC.Roller, Duane W. (2003) ''The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene'', Routledge UK, p. 59. . Juba II was brought to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

by Julius Caesar and he took part in Caesar's triumphal procession. In Rome he learned the

and Greek, became romanized and was granted Roman citizenship. Through dedication to his studies, he is said to have become one of Rome's best educated citizens, and by age 20 he wrote one of his first works entitled ''Roman Archaeology''. He was raised by Julius Caesar and later by his great-nephew Octavian (future Emperor Augustus). While growing up, Juba II accompanied Octavian on military campaigns, gaining valuable experience as a leader. He fought alongside Octavian in the Battle of Actium in 31 BC.

Restoration to the Numidian throne

In 30 BC, Octavian restored Juba II as king of

. Juba II established Numidia as an ally of Rome. Probably as a result of his services to Augustus in a campaign in Hispania, between 27 BC and 25 BC, the Emperor made the final decision to give him his kingship of Mauretania. His kingdom replaced the province of Africa Nova which included territories of both Eastern Numidia and Western Numidia. This kingdom of Numidia (except the territory of Western Numidia) was in 25 BC directly annexed to the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

as the part of the

Roman province The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...

of Africa Proconsularis and Juba II received Mauretania as his kingdom, enlarged by territory of Western Numidia. The marriage of Juba II and Cleopatra Selene II likely took place in 25 BC, when Cleopatra Selene was of proper age and Juba II was sent to rule Mauretania.

Reign in Mauretania

According to Strabo, upon the death of the Mauretanian king Bocchus II, who was an ally of the Romans, his kingdom was briefly governed directly by Rome (33 BC - 25 BC), then in 25 BC Juba II received it from Augustus. When Juba II and Cleopatra Selene moved to Mauretania, they named their new capital ''Caesaria'' (modern Cherchell,

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

), in honour of Augustus. The construction and sculpture projects at Caesaria and another city, Volubilis, display a rich mixture of Egyptian, Greek and Roman architectural styles. Cleopatra is said to have exerted considerable influence on Juba II's policies. Juba II encouraged and supported the performing arts, research of the sciences and research of natural history. Juba II also supported Mauretanian trade. The Kingdom of Mauretania was of great importance to the Roman Empire. Mauretania engaged in trade all across the Mediterranean, particularly with

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Mauretania exported fish, grapes, pearls, figs, grain, wooden furniture and purple dye harvested from certain shellfish, which was used in the manufacture of purple stripes for senatorial robes. Juba II sent a contingent to Iles Purpuraires to re-establish the ancient Phoenician dye manufacturing process. Tingis (modern Tangier), a town at the Pillars of Hercules (modern Strait of Gibraltar) became a major trade centre. In Gades, (modern Cádiz) and Carthago Nova (modern Cartagena) in

, Juba II was appointed by Augustus as an honorary Duovir (a chief magistrate of a Roman colony or town). The value and quality of the Mauretanian coinage became highly regarded. The Greek

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

Plutarch Plutarch (; , ''Ploútarchos'', ; – 120s) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', ...

describes him as 'one of the most gifted rulers of his time'. Between 2 BC and AD 2, he travelled with Gaius Caesar (a grandson of Augustus), as an advisor to the Eastern Mediterranean. In AD 21, Juba II made his son Ptolemy his co-ruler. Juba II died in AD 23. Juba II was buried alongside his first wife in the Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania. Ptolemy then became the sole ruler of Mauretania.

Marriages and children

* First marriage to Greek Ptolemaic princess Cleopatra Selene II (40 BC – 5 BC). Their children were: ** Ptolemy of Mauretania born in ca 10 BC/ 5 BCCleopatra Selene
by Chris Bennett ** A daughter of Cleopatra and Juba, whose name has not been recorded (based on

Roman naming conventions Over the course of some fourteen centuries, the Ancient Rome, Romans and other peoples of Italy employed a system of nomenclature that differed from that used by other cultures of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, consisting of a combination of g ...

she would have had the nomen "Julia" but like many client royals she may have never used it), is mentioned in an inscription. She is sometimes assumed to have had the same cognomen as her niece Drusilla. * Second marriage to Glaphyra, a princess of

Cappadocia Cappadocia (; , from ) is a historical region in Central Anatolia region, Turkey. It is largely in the provinces of Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. Today, the touristic Cappadocia Region is located in Nevşehir ...

, and widow of

Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...

, son of

Herod the Great Herod I or Herod the Great () was a History of the Jews in the Roman Empire, Roman Jewish client king of the Herodian kingdom of Judea. He is known for his colossal building projects throughout Judea. Among these works are the rebuilding of the ...

. Alexander was executed in 7 BC for his involvement in a conspiracy against his father. Glaphyra married Juba II in 6 AD or 7 AD. She then fell in love with

Herod Archelaus Herod Archelaus (, ''Hērōidēs Archelaos''; 23 BC – ) was the ethnarch of Samaria, Judea, and Idumea, including the cities Caesarea Maritima, Caesarea and Jaffa, for nine years (). He was the son of Herod the Great and Malthace the ...

, another son of Herod the Great and

Ethnarch Ethnarch (pronounced , also ethnarches, ) is a term that refers generally to political leadership over a common ethnic group or homogeneous kingdom. The word is derived from the Greek language, Greek words (''Ethnic group, ethnos'', "tribe/nation ...

of Judea. Glaphyra divorced Juba to marry him in 7 AD.

Works

Writings

Juba wrote a number of books in Greek on history, natural history, geography, grammar, painting and theatre. He compiled a comparison of Greek and Roman institutions known as Όμοιότητες (''Resemblances''). His guide to Arabia became a bestseller in Rome. Only fragments of his works survive. He collected a substantial library on a wide variety of topics, which no doubt complemented his own prolific output.

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...

refers to him as an authority 65 times in the ''Natural History'' and in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

, a monument was built in the Gymnasium of Ptolemy in recognition of his writings. Ten works by Juba II have provisionally been identified, but all are fragmentary: *''Roman Archaeology'', in two booksDuane W. Roller, ''The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene'' (Routledge, 2003), pp. 61–63. . *''Resemblances'', in at least fifteen books *''On Painting'', in at least eight books *''Theatrical History'', in at least seventeen books *''The Wanderings of Hanno'', possibly a translation of the periplus of Hanno the Navigator *''On Euphorbion'', a pamphlet *''Libyka'', in at least three books *''On Arabia'', which is the only work by Juba that may have been in LatinDuane W. Roller, ''The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene'' (Routledge, 2003), p. 165. . *''On Assyria'', in two books *Epigrams, of which six lines of one quoted by

Athenaeus Athenaeus of Naucratis (, or Nαυκράτιος, ''Athēnaios Naukratitēs'' or ''Naukratios''; ) was an ancient Greek rhetorician and Grammarian (Greco-Roman), grammarian, flourishing about the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd century ...

are all that survives Juba's works survive only in quotations or citations by others, in both Greek and Latin. There are around 100 of these, about half in

's ''

Natural History Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

''. Others can be found in Athenaeus,

Claudius Aelianus Claudius Aelianus (; ), commonly Aelian (), born at Praeneste, was a Roman author and teacher of rhetoric who flourished under Septimius Severus and probably outlived Elagabalus, who died in 222. He spoke Greek so fluently that he was called "h ...

Harpokration, Dioscórides,

Galen Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus (; September 129 – AD), often Anglicization, anglicized as Galen () or Galen of Pergamon, was a Ancient Rome, Roman and Greeks, Greek physician, surgeon, and Philosophy, philosopher. Considered to be one o ...

, Philostratus,

Herodian Herodian or Herodianus () of Syria, sometimes referred to as "Herodian of Antioch" (c. 170 – c. 240), was a minor Roman civil servant who wrote a colourful history in Greek titled ''History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus'' (τῆς με ...

Tatian Tatian of Adiabene, or Tatian the Syrian or Tatian the Assyrian, (; ; ; ; – ) was an Assyrian Christian writer and theologian of the 2nd century. Tatian's most influential work is the Diatessaron, a Biblical paraphrase, or "harmony", of the ...

, Ammianus Marcellinus, Solinus, Hesychius of Miletus, Stephanos of Byzantium, Photios, the '' Etymologicum Magnum'', the '' Geoponica'' and various

scholia Scholia (: scholium or scholion, from , "comment", "interpretation") are grammatical, critical, or explanatory comments – original or copied from prior commentaries – which are inserted in the margin of the manuscript of ancient a ...

on classical authors. Juba may have written plays, but these are not quoted, and no titles are known. The supposition relies on a reading of a passage in Athenaeus. There are two late citations to Juba that seem to be spurious. Photios cites the otherwise unknown ''On the Deterioration of Words'', while Fulgentius cites a certain ''Fisiologia''. Both may have been epitomes of Juba's authentic works.Duane W. Roller, ''The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene'' (Routledge, 2003), pp. 179–181. . A treaty on metrics was formerly ascribed to him, but is now generally thought to have been written by an

homonym In linguistics, homonyms are words which are either; '' homographs''—words that mean different things, but have the same spelling (regardless of pronunciation), or '' homophones''—words that mean different things, but have the same pronunciat ...

Patron of arts and sciences

Juba II was a noted patron of the arts and sciences and sponsored several expeditions and biological research. According to

Pliny the Younger Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo; 61 – ), better known in English as Pliny the Younger ( ), was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and e ...

, Juba II sent an expedition to the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...

and

Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...

. He named them the Canary Islands for the particularly ferocious dogs (''canarius'' – from ''canis'' – meaning ''of the dogs'' in Latin) the expedition found there. Flavius Philostratus recalled one of his anecdotes: "And I have read in the discourse of Juba that elephants assist one another when they are being hunted, and that they will defend one that is exhausted, and if they can remove him out of danger, they anoint his wounds with the tears of the aloe tree, standing round him like physicians." Juba's Greek physician Euphorbus wrote that a

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

spurge found in the High Atlas was a powerful laxative.Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains, p 107, 1985, CNPS In 12 BC, Juba named this plant ''

Euphorbia ''Euphorbia'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the family (biology), family Euphorbiaceae. Euphorbias range from tiny annual plants to large and long-lived trees, with perhaps the tallest being ''Eu ...

'' after Euphorbus, in response to Augustus dedicating a statue to Antonius Musa, Augustus's own personal physician and Euphorbus's brother. Botanist and taxonomist

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

assigned the name ''Euphorbia'' to the entire genus in the physician's honour.Linnaeus (1753): p.450 ''Euphorbia'' was later called '' Euphorbia regis-jubae'' ("King Juba's euphorbia") to honour the king's contributions to natural history and his role in bringing the genus to notice. The palm tree genus '' Jubaea'' is also named after Juba. The following plant genera, species and varieties have been named after Juba: * '' Callitriche regis-jubae'' - an aquatic plant from the western Mediterranean. * '' Euphorbia ×jubaeaphylla -'' a named hybrid between two ''Euphorbia'' species on Tenerife, Canary Islands. * '' Euphorbia regis-jubae -'' another spurge from the Canary Islands and Western Sahara * '' Jubaea -'' a native palm from Chile, with one species. * '' Jubaeopsis'' - a native palm from South Africa, with one species. * '' ×Jubautia -'' a hybrid reported in cultivation between ''Jubaea chilensis'' and '' Butia capitata.'' * '' Parajubaea -'' a genus of palm trees from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. * ''

Phoenix dactylifera ''Phoenix dactylifera'', commonly known as the date palm, is a flowering-plant species in the palm family Arecaceae, cultivated for its edible sweet #Fruits, fruit called dates. The species is widely cultivated across North Africa, northern A ...

'' var. ''jubae -'' a variety of palm from the Canary Islands, now known as '' P. canariensis.'' * '' Sonchus regis-jubae'' - a sow thistle from La Gomera, Canary Islands.

Gallery

File:Portrait Juba II Louvre Ma1886.jpg File:Françoise Foliot - Juba II bis.jpg File:Juba II, king of Mauretania, early 1st cent. CE, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen (36251960842).jpg File:Bustos de Juba II, rey de Mauritania.jpg

References

External links

* king of Mauretania –

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' is a biographical dictionary of classical antiquity, edited by William Smith (lexicographer), William Smith and originally published in London by John Taylor (English publisher), Tayl ...

Juba II

Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Juba 02 50s BC births 23 deaths 1st-century BC Berber people 1st-century BC monarchs in Africa 1st-century Berber people 1st-century disestablishments 1st-century monarchs in Africa Berber writers Kings of Mauretania Kings of Numidia Ptolemaic dynasty Roman client monarchs Julii People of the War of Actium