Cleopatra Selene I

This article is about the daughter of Ptolemy VIII and Cleopatra III of Egypt. For the daughter of Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Mark Antony, see Cleopatra Selene II.

Cleopatra Selene I

Queen Consort of Egypt
Reign	115-107 BC
Coronation	115 BC
Predecessor	Queen Cleopatra IV
Successor	Cleopatra III
Regent	Ptolemy IX Lathyros (co-ruler with Cleopatra III)
Queen of the Seleucid Empire (Queen Consort of Syria)
Reign	Unknown - 96 BC (with Antiochus VIII Grypus) 96-95 BC (with Antiochus IX Cyzicenus) 95 BC–92 or 83 BC (with Antiochus X Eusebes)
Predecessor	Tryphaena
Queen of the Seleucid Empire (Queen Regent of Syria)
Reign	92 or 83 BC-69 BC
Predecessor	Tigranes the Great or Philip I Philadelphus
Successor	Antiochus XIII Asiaticus (son)
Co-regents	Her two sons Seleucus Cybiosactes and Antiochus XIII Asiaticus

Born	c. 135 – 130 BC
Died	69 BC Ptolemais.^[1]
Spouse	Ptolemy IX Lathyros (Brother) Ptolemy X Alexander I (Brother) Antiochus VIII Grypus (Cousin) Antiochus IX Cyzicenus (Cousin/Brother-in-law) Antiochus X Eusebes (Nephew-in-law/Step-son)
Issue	With Ptolemy IX Lathyros : Berenice III With Ptolemy X Alexander I Ptolemy XI Alexander II With Antiochus X Eusebes Antiochus XIII Asiaticus Seleucus Cybiosactes
Dynasty	Ptolemaic
Father	Ptolemy VIII Physcon
Mother	Cleopatra III of Egypt

Cleopatra Selene I (Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Σελήνη; c. 135/130 – 69 BC) was the daughter of Ptolemy VIII Physcon by his niece Cleopatra III of Egypt. She was the wife of three different kings; including queen consort to Ptolemy IX Lathyros of Egypt, and later queen of Syria.

Biography

Early life and background

Originally she was named Selene, only adding the Ptolemaic throne name Cleopatra after her marriage with Lathyros.^[2] whom she married after his wife, her sister Cleopatra IV, was forced out by her mother. (115 BC).^[3] Selene was not, however, made co-ruler, unlike many of the sister-wives of Ptolemaic kings.

She bore Lathyros at least one daughter, Berenice III and two sons,^[4] including Ptolemy XII and possibly another son, also named Ptolemy.

In 107 BC, as relations deteriorated between Lathyros and his mother and co-ruler, Cleopatra III, he was forced to leave Egypt and his wife, first to Cyprus to raise an army, and then to south Syria from whence he tried, in 103 BC, to invade Egypt.

Queen of Syria

In the meantime, Cleopatra III established an alliance with one of the warring Syrian kings, Antiochus VIII Grypus, giving him Cleopatra Selene I as his wife.^[5] (His previous wife, (Cleopatra?) Tryphaena, Cleopatra Selene's I older sister, had been killed in 111 BC by his stepbrother Antiochus IX Cyzicenus).

In Syria, the civil war between Grypus and Cyzicenus over the throne in Antioch lasted until 96 BC, when Grypus was assassinated in Antioch. Cyzicenus, after capturing the capital, married Cleopatra Selene I. (Cyzicenus had been married to Cleopatra Selene's I older sister, Cleopatra IV, who had been killed by Grypus in 112 BC.)

Cyzicenus, however, was not to live much longer. Grypus had five sons with Cleopatra Tryphaena; all of them competing for the throne of Antioch. In 95 BC, Cyzicenus was killed during a battle with Seleucus VI Epiphanes, the eldest son of Grypus.

After Cyzicenus' death, his son with Cleopatra IV, Antiochus X Eusebes, married his stepmother, Cleopatra Selene I, and regained Antioch again, with the death of Seleucus VI. Cleopatra Selene I bore him two sons, Antiochus XIII Asiaticus and Seleucus Cybiosactes.

Fleeing to Cilicia and death

Antiochus X was killed either in 92 BC in a battle with the Parthians, or in 83 BC. After his death Cleopatra Selene I, fearing for her safety, left Syria for the relative safety of Cilicia.

Following the assassination of her nephew Ptolemy XI Alexander II (80 BC), Cleopatra Selene I remained the only legitimate surviving member of the Ptolemaic dynasty. She claimed the throne of Egypt for her sons from her fourth marriage, but the people of Alexandria chose the illegitimate Ptolemy XII Auletes as new king. Cleopatra Selene I sent her sons to Rome to present their claims before the senate, but they were unsuccessful, returning home two years later,^[6] possibly to Syria in late 73 and 72. Selene evidently ruled their Syrian possessions in their absence, controlling Ptolemais until 69.^[7] In 69 BC the Armenian king Tigranes the Great besieged Cleopatra Selene I in Ptolemais, seizing and brutally killing her in Seleucia.^[8]

One year later, the Romans disrupted the Armenian state, and Cleopatra Selene I's son, Antiochus XIII, the last king of the Seleucid dynasty, tried unsuccessfully to unify the state. Finally, in 63 BC, the Romans captured Syria and the Hellenistic state that Seleucus I Nicator (Greek :Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ) created 240 years before, became part of Rome.

References

↑ Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 13.420; Strabo, Geographica 16, p. 749
↑ Strabo, Geographica 16, p. 749; Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 13.420.
↑ Justin 39.3.2
↑ Justin 39.4.1
↑ Justin 39.4.4
↑ Cicero, In Verrem actio 4.61-68
↑ http://www.tyndalehouse.com/egypt/ptolemies/selene_i.htm#Selene.4
↑ Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 13.420; Strabo, Geographica 16, p. 749

Notes

Felix Stähelin: Kleopatra 22. In: Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft, vol. XI 1, 1921, col. 782-784.
J. Whitehorne, Cleopatras, 1994, pp. 164–173.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cleopatra Selene I.

Regnal titles
Cleopatra Selene I Ptolemaic dynasty Born: c. 135 – 130 BC Died: 69 BC
Preceded by Cleopatra IV	Queen Consort of Egypt 115-107 BC with Ptolemy IX and Cleopatra III	Succeeded by Cleopatra III (regent)
Preceded by Tryphaena	Seleucid Queen (Queen Consort of Syria) unknown – 92 BC (or 83 BC) with Antiochus VIII Grypus (unknown-96 BC) Antiochus IX Cyzicenus (96-95 BC) Antiochus X Eusebes (95 BC–92 or 83 BC)	Succeeded by None
Preceded by Tigranes	Seleucid Queen (Queen Regnant of Syria) 83 BC–69 BC with Seleucus VII Philometer (83 BC–69 BC)	Succeeded by Antiochus XIII Asiaticus

Hellenistic rulers

Argeads	Philip II Alexander III the Great Philip III Arrhidaeus Alexander IV

Antigonids	Antigonus I Monophthalmus Demetrius I Poliorcetes Antigonus II Gonatas Demetrius II Aetolicus Antigonus III Doson Philip V Perseus Philip VI (pretender)

Ptolemies	Ptolemy I Soter Ptolemy II Philadelphus Ptolemy III Euergetes Ptolemy IV Philopator Ptolemy V Epiphanes Cleopatra I Syra (regent) Ptolemy VI Philometor Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator Cleopatra II Philometor Soter Ptolemy VIII Physcon Cleopatra III Ptolemy IX Lathyros Ptolemy X Alexander Berenice III Ptolemy XI Alexander Ptolemy XII Auletes Cleopatra VI Tryphaena Berenice IV Epiphanea Ptolemy XIII Ptolemy XIV Cleopatra VII Philopator Ptolemy XV Caesarion

Seleucids	Seleucus I Nicator Antiochus I Soter Antiochus II Theos Seleucus II Callinicus Seleucus III Ceraunus Antiochus III the Great Seleucus IV Philopator Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus V Eupator Demetrius I Soter Alexander I Balas Demetrius II Nicator Antiochus VI Dionysus Diodotus Tryphon Antiochus VII Sidetes Alexander II Zabinas Seleucus V Philometor Antiochus VIII Grypus Antiochus IX Cyzicenus Seleucus VI Epiphanes Antiochus X Eusebes Antiochus XI Epiphanes Demetrius III Eucaerus Philip I Philadelphus Antiochus XII Dionysus Antiochus XIII Asiaticus Philip II Philoromaeus

Lysimachids	Lysimachus

Antipatrids	Cassander Philip IV Alexander V Antipater II Antipater Etesias Sosthenes

Attalids	Philetaerus Eumenes I Attalus I Eumenes II Attalus II Attalus III Eumenes III

Greco-Bactrians	Diodotus I Diodotus II Euthydemus I Demetrius I Euthydemus II Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Demetrius II Eucratides I Plato Eucratides II Heliocles I

Indo-Greeks	Demetrius I Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Apollodotus I Demetrius II Antimachus II Menander I Zoilos I Agathokleia Lysias Strato I Antialcidas Heliokles II Polyxenos Demetrius III Philoxenus Diomedes Amyntas Epander Theophilos Peukolaos Thraso Nicias Menander II Artemidoros Hermaeus Archebius Telephos Apollodotus II Hippostratos Dionysios Zoilos II Apollophanes Strato II

Kings of Bithynia	Boteiras Bas Zipoetes I Nicomedes I Zipoetes II Etazeta (regent) Ziaelas Prusias I Prusias II Nicomedes II Nicomedes III Nicomedes IV Socrates Chrestus

Kings of Pontus	Mithridates I Ctistes Ariobarzanes Mithridates II Mithridates III Pharnaces I Mithridates IV Philopator Philadephos Mithridates V Euergetes Mithridates VI Eupator Pharnaces II Darius Arsaces Polemon I Pythodorida Polemon II

Kings of Commagene	Ptolemaeus Sames II Mithridates I Antiochus I Mithridates II Antiochus II Mithridates III Antiochus III Antiochus IV

Kings of Cappadocia	Ariarathes I Ariarathes II Ariamnes II Ariarathes III Ariarathes IV Ariarathes V Orophernes Ariarathes VI Ariarathes VII Ariarathes VIII Ariarathes IX Ariobarzanes I Ariobarzanes II Ariobarzanes III Ariarathes X Archelaus

Kings of the Cimmerian Bosporus	Mithridates I Pharnaces Asander with Dynamis Mithridates II Asander with Dynamis Scribonius’ attempted rule with Dynamis Dynamis with Polemon Polemon with Pythodorida Aspurgus Mithridates III with Gepaepyris Mithridates III Cotys I

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/12/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.