Roman & Late Antiquity
Juba II
Roman / Late Antiquity
Leaders & StatesmenRoman client king (c. 25 BC – 23 AD)Oran / West
“A king who wrote as much as he ruled.”
Historical significance
He represents an unusual mix of Numidian roots and Greco-Roman scholarship at the heart of Mediterranean culture.
Reminds us that North Africa was a producer of scholarship, not only a recipient of it.
Their story
Captured as a child after his father's defeat, Juba II grew up in Rome and returned to North Africa as a learned king of Mauretania. He wrote on geography, botany and history, ruling from a refined coastal court.
Did you know?
He married Cleopatra Selene II, daughter of Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Mark Antony.