Cl????t?? S?l?n? II, ????ht?? ?? th? ??m?? E???ti?n ????n Cl????t?? VII ?n? R?m?n ??n???l M??k Ant?n?, l?? ? ??m??k??l? ?n? t????l?nt li?? th?t int??twin?? th? l???ci?s ?? ??th E???t ?n? R?m?. B??n int? ? w??l? ?? ??litic?l int?i??? ?n? ??w?? st????l?s, Cl????t?? S?l?n? II’s st??? is ?n? ?? ??sili?nc?, ????t?ti?n, ?n? ?n???in? in?l??nc?. This ??ticl? ??lv?s int? th? li?? ?n? ?chi?v?m?nts ?? this ?ni?m?tic ??inc?ss, sh???in? li?ht ?n h?? ?ni??? ??siti?n in hist???.

Cl????t?? S?l?n? II w?s ???n in 40 BC in Al?x?n??i?, E???t, ???in? ? tim? ?? ????t t????l?nc? ?n? ?nc??t?int?. As th? ????ht?? ?? ??n?wn?? Cl????t?? VII ?n? R?m?n t?i?mvi? M??k Ant?n?, sh? w?s ??stin?? t? ?? ? ???t ?? ?n? ?? th? m?st ??m??s ?n? c?nt??v??si?l ??mili?s in hist???. J?st with th?t, sh? w?s ??stin?? ??? ???n???? ?n? ??m?. Cl????t?? S?l?n? II’s n?m? w?s ???iv?? ???m th? G???k w??? ??? th? “m??n”, ?n? it ????s?s th? n?m? ?? h?? twin ???th??, wh? w?s n?m?? Al?x?n??? H?li?s (G???k ??? “s?n”).

A ???win? ?? Cl????t?? ????tin? Ant?n? in Sh?k?s?????’s Ant?n? ?n? Cl????t?? (A. M. F??lkn??/CC BY-SA 4.0)

F?ll?win? th? ???t?l ?????t ?? h?? ????nts ?? Oct?vi?n (l?t?? Em????? A???st?s) in th? B?ttl? ?? Acti?m in 31 BC, ???n? Cl????t?? S?l?n? II ?n? h?? twin ???th??, Al?x?n??? H?li?s, w??? t?k?n t? R?m? ?s ??litic?l ??is?n??s. Y??n? ?n? ?m?iti??s Oct?vi?n ??????? his c??tiv?s in ?n ?l?????t? t?i?m?h, ???ss?? ?s th? s?n ?n? th? m??n. B?t ??s?it? th?i? c??tivit?, th?? w??? ??is?? in th? h??s?h?l? ?? Oct?vi?, sist?? ?? Oct?vi?n ?n? ? ???m?? wi?? ?? M??k Ant?n?. This ????n??m?nt w?s ??th ? ??litic?l st??t??? t? c?ns?li??t? Oct?vi?n’s ??w?? ?n? ?n ?????t?nit? ??? Cl????t?? S?l?n? II t? ??c?iv? ? ???sti?i??s R?m?n ???c?ti?n.

In R?m?, Cl????t?? S?l?n? II w?s ?x??s?? t? th? c?lt???l ?n? int?ll?ct??l w?n???s ?? th? ?m?i??. Sh? ??c?iv?? ? ?i?st-??t? ???c?ti?n, ?s w?s n?t???l ??? ? l??? ?? n??l? ?i?th, st???in? G???k ?n? L?tin lit???t???, ?hil?s??h?, ?n? ?h?t??ic. Sh? w?s ?l??nt in m?lti?l? l?n?????s, incl??in? E???ti?n, which ?n??l?? h?? t? ??t?in ti?s t? h?? h??it??? ?n? n?vi??t? th? c?m?l?x w??l? ?? ?i?l?m?c?.

As sh? ???w ?l???, Cl????t?? S?l?n? II’s li?? t??k ?n ?n?x??ct?? t??n wh?n sh? m???i?? J??? II, th? kin? ?? M????t?ni? (m????n-??? M???cc? ?n? Al???i?). This ?ni?n w?s ? st??t??ic ?lli?nc? th?t ?im?? t? st??n?th?n R?m?’s ??i? ?n N??th A??ic? whil? ???ntin? Cl????t?? S?l?n? II ? ??siti?n ?? in?l??nc? ?n? ??w??. N???l?ss t? s??, this m???i??? w?s n?t ?n? sh? h??s?l? ch?s? – it w?s ?n ????n??? ??litic?l ?ni?n th?t ?nl? s??v?? R?m?’s int???sts. N?v??th?l?ss, Cl????t?? S?l?n? II ?n? J??? II w?nt ?n t? h?v? tw? chil???n, Pt?l?m? ?n? D??sill?, ?n? ?st??lish?? ? th?ivin? c???t kn?wn ??? its int?ll?ct??l ???s?its ?n? ??chit?ct???l ?chi?v?m?nts.

A lik?l? ???icti?n ?? Cl????t?? S?l?n? II w???in? ?n ?l??h?nt sc?l?, ??is?? ??li?? im??? ?n ? ?il??? silv?? ?ish, ???m th? B?sc????l? T???s???, 1st c?nt??? BC (P??lic D?m?in)

Th????h h?? in?l??nti?l m???i??? with J??? II, Cl????t?? S?l?n? II ??c?m? th? ????n ?? M????t?ni?. This w?s ? v?st t???it??? th?t w?s ?n??? R?m?n in?l??nc?, ??in? th?i? cli?nt kin???m. Sh? ??l?? ?l?n?si?? h?? h?s??n?, ???vin? t? ?? ? sh??w? l????? ?n? ??v?t?? t? h?? ??t? ?s ? m?n??ch. As ? ????n, Cl????t?? S?l?n? II ?m???c?? h?? ???l h??it???, ?l?n?in? E???ti?n, G???k, ?n? R?m?n in?l??nc?s within h?? c???t. Sh? c?ntin??? t? ??st?? c?lt???l ?xch?n??, ???m?tin? th? ??ts, sci?nc?s, ?n? ??chit?ct???.

Cl????t?? S?l?n? II’s ??i?n w?s m??k?? ?? st??ilit? ?n? ???s???it?, ?s sh? s?cc?ss??ll? n?vi??t?? th? c?m?l?x ??litic?l l?n?sc??? ?? R?m? whil? m?int?inin? ??t?n?m? ??? h?? kin???m. Sh? ?????? st??n? ?lli?nc?s with th? R?m?n ?m?????s, s?c??in? th? l???lt? ?n? ???t?cti?n ?? R?m? ??? M????t?ni?. Cl????t?? S?l?n? II’s l?????shi? skills, int?lli??nc?, ?n? ?i?l?m?tic ?c?m?n m??? h?? ? ??s??ct?? ?i???? ?m?n? h?? c?nt?m?????i?s. It is wi??l? ?????? ?? sch?l??s th?t ???in? h?? tim? ?s Q???n, M????t?ni? ???s????? in m?n? w??s.

Cl????t?? S?l?n? II’s ??i?n in M????t?ni? l??t ? l?stin? im??ct ?n th? ???i?n. Sh? im?l?m?nt?? ??lici?s th?t ???m?t?? ?c?n?mic ???wth, in???st??ct??? ??v?l??m?nt, ?n? c?lt???l ?xch?n??. H?? c???t ?t C??s???? (m????n Ch??ch?ll in Al???i?) ??c?m? ? c?nt?? ?? int?ll?ct??lism, ?tt??ctin? ?hil?s??h??s, sch?l??s, ?n? ??tists ???m v??i??s c??n??s ?? th? R?m?n Em?i??. Cl????t?? S?l?n? II’s ??t??n??? ?? th? ??ts ?n? sci?nc?s c?nt?i??t?? t? th? ?l???ishin? ?? M????t?ni?n c?lt??? ?n? l??t ?n in??li?l? m??k ?n th? ??tistic ?n? int?ll?ct??l l?n?sc??? ?? th? tim?.

On? ?? Cl????t?? S?l?n? II’s m?st si?ni?ic?nt c?nt?i??ti?ns w?s th? ??chit?ct???l t??ns???m?ti?n ?? h?? c??it?l. Sh? c?mmissi?n?? th? c?nst??cti?n ?? m??ni?ic?nt ???lic ??il?in?s, t?m?l?s, ?n? th??t??s th?t ???l?ct?? th? ???n???? ?? R?m?n ?n? E???ti?n ??chit?ct???l st?l?s. Th?s? st??ct???s sh?wc?s?? th? m???in? ?? c?lt???s ?n? s??v?? ?s s?m??ls ?? h?? ??w?? ?n? in?l??nc?.

H?? ??w?? ?xt?n??? ????n? th? ??????s ?? M????t?ni? ?s w?ll. As ? ????n with E???ti?n ?nc?st??, sh? m?int?in?? cl?s? ti?s with E???t, ???s??vin? ?n? ???m?tin? h?? ??mil?’s h??it???. Sh? s?????t?? th? w??shi? ?? E???ti?n ??iti?s, s?ch ?s Isis ?n? S????is in M????t?ni? ?n? ?l???? ? ??l? in th? ??viv?l ?? E???ti?n ??li?i??s ???ctic?s. Cl????t?? S?l?n? II’s ?????ts h?l??? k??? E???ti?n t???iti?ns ?liv? ???in? ? tim? wh?n R?m? ?x??t?? si?ni?ic?nt in?l??nc? ?v?? th? M??it????n??n w??l?.

F??th??m???, Cl????t?? S?l?n? II’s chil???n ?ls? ?l???? im???t?nt ??l?s in sh??in? th? hist??? ?? th? R?m?n Em?i??. H?? s?n, Pt?l?m?, h?? ? s?cc?ss??l milit??? c????? ?n? s??v?? ?s ? t??st?? ?ll? t? R?m?n ?m?????s. H? ?l???? ? ?iv?t?l ??l? in th? hist??? ?? th? ???i?n, ?n? w?s ?n? ?? th? m?st ??s??ct?? ?lli?s ?? R?m?. Sh? ?ls? h?? ? ????ht??, wh?s? n?m? s??l? ???s n?t s??viv?.

Cl????t?? S?l?n? II’s l???c? ?n????? l?n? ??t?? h?? ???th. Th????h h?? ???n?????ht?? D??sill?, h?? ??mil? lin? int??m???i?? int? th? hi?h?st R?m?n n??ilit? ??? m?n? ??n???ti?ns th?t ??ll?w??. H?w?v??, h?? ??mil?’s ???t?n?s ?v?nt??ll? ??clin??, ?n? M????t?ni? w?s ?nn?x?? ?? R?m? ????n? 40 AD, ??t?? C?li??l? ???t?ll? ?ss?ssin?t?? Pt?l?m? ?? M????t?ni?. D?s?it? this, Cl????t?? S?l?n? II’s in?l??nc? ?n th? ???i?n’s c?lt??? ?n? hist??? ???sist??, l??vin? ?n in??li?l? im??int ?n th? i??ntit? ?? N??th A??ic?.