Rex Juba: 15 Glimpses of an African King

Rex Juba is a historical biography of Juba II of Mauretania, an extraordinary but largely forgotten ruler of the ancient Mediterranean. Andrew Kenrick reconstructs Juba's life through 15 glimpses, using evidence from coins, inscriptions, archaeology and surviving historical sources. Juba's story begins dramatically. In 46 BC, when he was only two years old, the North African prince was taken to Rome and paraded in Julius Caesar's triumph after the defeat of his father. Instead of disappearing into history, Juba was raised within the Roman world and eventually became a close associate of Octavian, later the Emperor Augustus. As an adult, Juba was returned to North Africa and installed as King of Mauretania. His reign was unusual: he was not simply a client ruler serving Rome, but an exceptionally educated king, scholar and intellectual. He wrote about Libya and Arabia, investigated geography and antiquities, explored the wider Mediterranean and is associated with the naming and exploration of the Canary Islands.

A particularly fascinating part of the story is Juba's marriage to Cleopatra Selene, the daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII of Egypt. Their marriage united two royal dynasties and created a powerful symbol of the cultural connections between North Africa, Egypt, Greece and Rome. Together they ruled Mauretania while navigating the increasingly powerful Roman Empire.