She Was Paraded Through Rome in Chains

Cleopatra Selene

The collapse of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt marked the catastrophic end of an era and the tragic beginning of life for Cleopatra Selene. In 30 BC, following their decisive defeat by Octavian at the Battle of Actium, her parents, Queen Cleopatra the Seventh and the Roman general Mark Antony, committed suicide in Alexandria to avoid capture.

Suddenly orphaned at just ten years old, Selene and her surviving brothers, Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus, were seized by Roman forces. They were transported to Rome as political trophies, where they were forced to march through the streets in heavy golden chains during Octavian’s grand triumphal parade.

Despite the humiliation of the triumph, Selene and her brothers were spared from execution. Octavian handed the Egyptian captives over to his sister, Octavia Minor, who raised them with remarkable care within her own Roman household. In this environment, Selene received an exceptional education, mastering both Roman culture and Hellenistic politics. While her brothers mysteriously vanished from the historical record during this time, likely dying of illness, Selene survived. Her survival made her the last remaining official heir to the vast wealth, prestige, and political legacy of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Recognizing her immense political value, Octavian, who had by then become Emperor Augustus, arranged a strategic diplomatic marriage for the young princess. Between twenty-five and twenty before the common era, Selene was wed to Prince Juba the Second of Numidia, a highly educated Berber prince who had also been raised as a captive in Rome. Augustus appointed the couple as co-rulers of Mauretania, a vital client kingdom located in North Africa.

Together, Selene and Juba built a thriving, sophisticated capital at Caesarea, blending Egyptian, Greek, and Roman traditions. Selene ruled as an active, powerful sovereign, ensuring that the legacy of her mother Cleopatra continued to influence the ancient Mediterranean world long after Egypt fell.