Juba II of Mauretania (Ἰοῦβας ὁ Μαυρουσίων βασιλεύς)

Life Juba II (c. 48 BCE – c. 23 CE) was a king of Numidia and later Mauretania, and a prolific scholar. The son of Juba I, he was taken to Rome after his father’s defeat, where he was educated and became a client of Augustus [1][2]. Augustus installed him as king of Mauretania around 25 BCE and arranged his marriage to Cleopatra Selene II, daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII [1][2]. His long reign at Caesarea was marked by significant building and cultural promotion [1].

Works A noted scholar-king, Juba authored numerous works in Greek, though none survive intact. His wide-ranging writings are known through fragments cited by later authors like Plutarch and Athenaeus [1][2]. Major works include the historical-geographical studies On Libya (Libyka) and On Arabia, a Roman History (Archaeologia), and treatises on Assyria, painting, and theater [1][2]. He also compiled a comparative work titled Resemblances and is credited with discovering and naming the plant euphorbia [1][2].

Significance Juba II exemplifies the Hellenistic scholar-king under Roman patronage, embodying the cultural integration of the empire. His lost writings were considered authoritative sources on North African and Roman geography, history, and antiquarian subjects [1][2].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Juba-II 2. World History Encyclopedia: https://www.worldhistory.org/Juba_II/