Greek Kingdom of Mauretenia Juba II - King 25 B.C. - 23 A.D. Silver Denarius 18mm (2.12 grams)

JUBA II King of Mauretenia husband of CLEOPATRA SELENE Silver Greek Coin

No. i53455

 Authentic Ancient  Coin of:

Greek Kingdom of Mauretenia

Juba II - King 25 B.C. - 23 A.D.

Silver Denarius 18mm (2.12 grams)

Reference: Sear GIC 5974; Müller III, 103,23

REX IVBA, Diademed head of Juba II right.

Cornucopia and scepter in saltire.

Mauretenia was a North African  kingdom, the land of the Moors. It was annexed by the Romans on the death of  Bocchus III in 33 B.C. However, eight years later Augustus restored the kingdom  and placed on the throne his friend Juba II, the son of Juba I of Numidia who  had lost his throne at the battle of Thapsus in 46 B.C., to Julius Caesar. Juba  II was only an infant at the time of his father's defeat and death. Being a  cultured man, he introduced Hellenistic and Roman customs to his realm and built  fine cities, such as Caesarea (formerly Iol) and Volubilis. He was the author of  many books, which are now lost, and a distinguished patron of the arts. His  first wife, Cleopatra Selene, was the daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII  of Egypt. Juba's second wife was Glaphyra, daughter of Archelaus, king of  Cappadocia. After a long and prosperous reign he was eventually succeeded, in  A.D. 23, by his son, with Clepatra Selene, Ptolemy.  Following Ptolemy's  assassination seventeen years later by the unstable emperor Caligula, in 40  A.D., Mauretenaia was then divided into two parts, Tingitana and Caesariensis,  both of which constituted Roman provinces and administered by procurators.

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 Juba  II or Juba II of Numidia (52/50 BC – AD 23) was a king of Numidia and then later moved toMauretania. His first wife wasCleopatra Selene II, daughter of Greek Ptolemaic QueenCleopatra VII of Egypt and Roman triumvir Mark Antony.

Early life

 Juba II was an Ancient Libyanprince from North Africa. He was the only child and heir of  King Juba I of Numidia; his mother's identity is  unknown. In 46 BC, his father was defeated by Julius Caesar (in Thapsus, North Africa). Numidia became a Roman  Province. His father had been an ally of the Roman General Pompey.

Juba II was brought to Rome by Julius Caesar and he took part in Caesar’s triumphal  procession. In Rome he learned Latin andGreek, 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 Caesar Augustus). While growing up, Juba II  accompanied Octavian on military campaigns, gaining valuable experience as a  leader. He fought alongside Octavian in thebattle of Actium in 31 BC. They became longtime  friends.

Restored to the throne

Augustus restored Juba II as the king of Numidia between 29 BC – 27 BC. Juba  II established Numidia as an ally of Rome. Juba II would become one of the most  loyal client kings that served Rome. Probably due to his services with Augustus  in a campaign in present-day Spain, between 26 BC and 20 BC Augustus arranged  for him to marry Cleopatra Selene II, giving her a large dowry and appointing her queen.

Mauretania

When Juba II and his queen moved to Mauretania, they renamed their new  capital Caesaria (modern Cherchell, Algeria), in honor of Augustus. The  construction and sculpture projects at Caesaria and another city, Volubilis, display a rich mixture ofEgyptian, 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 traded all over the Mediterranean, particularly withSpain and Italy. 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 Purpurairesto 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 (modernCartagena) Spain, Juba II was appointed by Augustus as an  honorary Duovir (a chief magistrate of a Roman colony or town), probably  involving trade, and was also a Patronus Colonaie.

The value and quality of Mauretanian coins became distinguished. The Greek historian Plutarch describes him as 'one of the most  gifted rulers of his time'. Between 2 BC – AD 2, he travelled with Gaius Caesar (a grandson of Augustus), as a  member of his advisory staff to the troubled Eastern Mediterranean. In 21, Juba  II made his son Ptolemy co-ruler and Juba II died in 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 – 6 AD). Their  children 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 that  daughter, but she may have been a granddaughter instead. Drusilla is  described as a granddaughter of Antony and Cleopatra, or may have been a  daughter of Ptolemy of Mauretania.

Second marriage to Glaphyra, a princess of Cappadocia, and widow of Alexander, son of Herod the Great. Alexander was executed in  7 BC for conspiracy against his father. Glaphyra married Juba II in 6 AD or  7 AD. She then fell in love with Herod Archelaus, another son of Herod the  Great and Ethnarch of Judea. Glaphyra divorced Juba  to marry him in 7 AD. Juba had no children with Glaphyra.

 Author

The tomb of Juba II and his wife in Tipaza, Algeria

Juba wrote a number of books in Greek and Latin on history, natural history,  geography, grammar, painting and theatre. His guide to Arabia became a  bestseller in Rome. Only fragments of his work survived. He collected a  substantial library on a wide variety of topics, which no doubt complemented his  own prolific output. Pliny the Elder refers to him as an authority  65 times in the Natural History and in Athens, a monument was built in recognition of  his writings. His writings are published and translated in Roller: Scholarly  Kings (Chicago 2004).

Natural history

Juba II was a noted patron of the arts and sciences and sponsored several  expeditions and biological research. He also was a notable author, writing  several scholarly and popular scientific works such as treatises on natural  history or a best-selling traveller's guide to Arabia. Euphorbia regisjubae (King  Juba's Euphorbia) was named to honor the king's contributions to  natural history and his role in bringing the genus to notice.

According to Pliny the Younger, Juba II sent an expedition  to the Canary Islands and Madeira. Juba II had given the Canary Islands  that name because he found particularly ferocious dogs (canarius – from canis – meaning of the dogs in Latin) on the island.

He is also known to have written a book about a spurge found in the High Atlas which he named Euphorbia after his personal physician. It  was later called Euphorbia regisjubae (‘King Juba's  euphorbia’) in his honor (it is now Euphorbia obtusifoliassp. regis-jubae). The palm tree genus Jubaea is also named after him.

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."

Euphorbus the  physician

Main article: Euphorbus (physician)

Euphorbus was the Greek physician of Juba II. He wrote that asucculent plant, similar to the Euphorbia, was a powerfullaxative. In 12 BC, Juba named this plant after  his physician Euphorbus in response to Augustus dedicating a statue toAntonius Musa, Augustus's own personal  physician and Euphorbus' brother. Botanist and taxonomist Carl Linnaeusassigned the name Euphorbia  to the entire genus in the physician's honor.

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