Cleopatra II of Egypt
Encyclopedia
Cleopatra II was a queen (and briefly sole ruler) of Ptolemaic Egypt
.
Her first marriage was with her brother Ptolemy VI in ca. 175 BC. They had at least four children:
Cleopatra II married her brother Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II Physcon in ca 145 BC. They had at least one son:
in ca 175 BC. Cleopatra II, Ptolemy VI and their brother, Ptolemy VIII, were co-rulers of Egypt from ca 171 BC to 164 BC.
In ca 169 BC, Antiochus IV of Syria
invaded Egypt. Ptolemy VI Philometor
joined Antiochus IV outside Alexandria. Ptolemy VI was crowned in Memphis
and ruled with Cleopatra II. In 164 BC Cleopatra II and her husband were temporarily deposed by their brother Ptolemy VIII, but were restored to power in 163 BC.
Cleopatra II married her other brother, Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II in 145 BC. In 142 BC Ptolemy VIII took Cleopatra's younger daughter, his niece, Cleopatra III
, as wife.
Cleopatra II led a rebellion against Ptolemy VIII in 131 BC, and drove him and Cleopatra III
out of Egypt. At this time Ptolemy VIII murdered both his stepson Ptolemy and his own son Ptolemy Memphites. Ptolemy VIII is said to have had his son dismembered and his head, hands and feet sent to Cleopatra II in Alexandria as a birthday present.
Cleopatra II ruled Egypt from 130 BC to 127 BC when she was forced to flee to Syria, where she joined her daughter Cleopatra Thea
and her son-in-law Demetrius II Nicator
.
A public reconciliation of Cleopatra and Ptolemy VIII was declared in 124 BC. After this she ruled jointly with her brother and daughter until 116 BC when Ptolemy died, leaving the kingdom to Cleopatra III. Cleopatra II herself died shortly after.
Ptolemaic Egypt
Ptolemaic Egypt began when Ptolemy I Soter invaded Egypt and declared himself Pharaoh of Egypt in 305 BC and ended with the death of queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and the Roman conquest in 30 BC. The Ptolemaic Kingdom was a powerful Hellenistic state, extending from southern Syria in the east, to...
.
Family
Cleopatra II was the daughter of Ptolemy V and likely Cleopatra I. She was the sister of Ptolemy VI and Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II Tryphon. She would eventually marry both of her brothers.Her first marriage was with her brother Ptolemy VI in ca. 175 BC. They had at least four children:
- Ptolemy EupatorPtolemy EupatorPtolemy Eupator was the son of Ptolemy VI Philometor and Cleopatra II, and for a short time in 152 BCE reigned as co-ruler with his father. It is thought that Ptolemy Eupator died in August of that same year....
, born in 166 BC. Became co-regent with his father for a short time, but died at a young age in ca 152 BC. - Cleopatra TheaCleopatra TheaCleopatra Thea surnamed Eueteria was the ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. She ruled Syria from 125 BC after the death of Demetrius II Nicator...
born in ca 164 BC. She married Alexander BalasAlexander BalasAlexander Balas , ruler of the Greek Seleucid kingdom 150-146 BC, was a native of Smyrna of humble origin, but gave himself out to be the son of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and Laodice IV and heir to the Seleucid throne...
, Demetrius II NicatorDemetrius II NicatorFor the similarly named Macedonian ruler, see Demetrius II of Macedon. For the Macedonian prince, see Demetrius the Fair.Demetrius II , called Nicator , was one of the sons of Demetrius I Soter, brother of Antiochus VII Sidetes and his mother could have been Laodice V...
and Antiochus VII SidetesAntiochus VII SidetesAntiochus VII Euergetes, nicknamed Sidetes , ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire, reigned from 138 to 129 BC. He was the last Seleucid king of any stature....
. Murdered by her son in ca 120 BC. - Berenice, a daughter. Born between 163 and 160 BC. Died young in ca 150 BC.
- Cleopatra IIICleopatra III of EgyptCleopatra III was a queen of Egypt 142–101 BC.Cleopatra III was also known as Cleopatra Euergetis while associated with her husband Ptolemy VIII or her son Ptolemy X. She is attested as Cleopatra Philometor Soteira while associated with her eldest son Ptolemy IX...
, born between 160 and 155 BC. Married to her uncle Ptolemy VIII. - Ptolemy (D), born ca 152 BC. Murdered in 130 BC by Ptolemy VIII
Cleopatra II married her brother Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II Physcon in ca 145 BC. They had at least one son:
- Ptolemy Memphites. Born between 144 and 142 BC. Murdered by his own father in 130 BC. Ptolemy Memphites may be identical to Ptolemy VII Neos PhilopatorPtolemy VII Neos PhilopatorPtolemy VII Neos Philopator was an Egyptian king of the Ptolemaic period. His reign is controversial, and it is possible that he did not reign at all, but was only granted royal dignity posthumously.Even his identity is unclear...
, but this identification is not universally accepted.
Life
Following the death of her mother (176 BC), she was married to her brother Ptolemy VI PhilometorPtolemy VI Philometor
Ptolemy VI Philometor was a king of Egypt from the Ptolemaic period. He reigned from 180 to 145 BC....
in ca 175 BC. Cleopatra II, Ptolemy VI and their brother, Ptolemy VIII, were co-rulers of Egypt from ca 171 BC to 164 BC.
In ca 169 BC, Antiochus IV of Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
invaded Egypt. Ptolemy VI Philometor
Ptolemy VI Philometor
Ptolemy VI Philometor was a king of Egypt from the Ptolemaic period. He reigned from 180 to 145 BC....
joined Antiochus IV outside Alexandria. Ptolemy VI was crowned in Memphis
Memphis, Egypt
Memphis was the ancient capital of Aneb-Hetch, the first nome of Lower Egypt. Its ruins are located near the town of Helwan, south of Cairo.According to legend related by Manetho, the city was founded by the pharaoh Menes around 3000 BC. Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, it remained an...
and ruled with Cleopatra II. In 164 BC Cleopatra II and her husband were temporarily deposed by their brother Ptolemy VIII, but were restored to power in 163 BC.
Cleopatra II married her other brother, Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II in 145 BC. In 142 BC Ptolemy VIII took Cleopatra's younger daughter, his niece, Cleopatra III
Cleopatra III of Egypt
Cleopatra III was a queen of Egypt 142–101 BC.Cleopatra III was also known as Cleopatra Euergetis while associated with her husband Ptolemy VIII or her son Ptolemy X. She is attested as Cleopatra Philometor Soteira while associated with her eldest son Ptolemy IX...
, as wife.
Cleopatra II led a rebellion against Ptolemy VIII in 131 BC, and drove him and Cleopatra III
Cleopatra III of Egypt
Cleopatra III was a queen of Egypt 142–101 BC.Cleopatra III was also known as Cleopatra Euergetis while associated with her husband Ptolemy VIII or her son Ptolemy X. She is attested as Cleopatra Philometor Soteira while associated with her eldest son Ptolemy IX...
out of Egypt. At this time Ptolemy VIII murdered both his stepson Ptolemy and his own son Ptolemy Memphites. Ptolemy VIII is said to have had his son dismembered and his head, hands and feet sent to Cleopatra II in Alexandria as a birthday present.
Cleopatra II ruled Egypt from 130 BC to 127 BC when she was forced to flee to Syria, where she joined her daughter Cleopatra Thea
Cleopatra Thea
Cleopatra Thea surnamed Eueteria was the ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. She ruled Syria from 125 BC after the death of Demetrius II Nicator...
and her son-in-law Demetrius II Nicator
Demetrius II Nicator
For the similarly named Macedonian ruler, see Demetrius II of Macedon. For the Macedonian prince, see Demetrius the Fair.Demetrius II , called Nicator , was one of the sons of Demetrius I Soter, brother of Antiochus VII Sidetes and his mother could have been Laodice V...
.
A public reconciliation of Cleopatra and Ptolemy VIII was declared in 124 BC. After this she ruled jointly with her brother and daughter until 116 BC when Ptolemy died, leaving the kingdom to Cleopatra III. Cleopatra II herself died shortly after.