Aka II of Commagene


Aka II of Commagene also known as Aka II or Aka was a Princess from the Kingdom of Commagene who lived in the second half of the 1st century BC & first half of the 1st century.

Life

She who was of Armenian, Greek and Median descent.
Aka II is one of the daughters born to the King of Commagene, Mithridates III who reigned from 20 BC until 12 BC from his cousin-wife Queen Iotapa, thus was a sister of Antiochus III of Commagene. She was mostly probably born, raised and educated in Samosata, the capital of the Kingdom of Commagene.
At an unknown date in the late first century BC, Aka II married an Egyptian Greek called Thrasyllus of Mendes and the circumstances that led Thrasyllus to marry Aka II are unknown. Aka II is known from a preserved incomplete poem, that mentions Aka II as the wife of Thrasyllus and mentions she was of royal origins.
Thrasyllus was a Grammarian, Literary Commentator who served as the astrologer and became the personal friend of the Roman emperor Tiberius, who reigned from 14 until 37. As Tiberius had held Thrasyllus in the highest honor, Tiberius rewarded Thrasyllus for his friendship by giving him, Roman citizenship to him and his family. From given Roman citizenship, Aka II became known as Claudia Aka, as her husband became known as Tiberius Claudius Thrasyllus. Aka II died at an unknown date in the first century.
Aka II and Thrasyllus had two known children: