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Cleopatra II (c.185 BC - 116) was a queen of Egypt, and the daughter of Ptolemy V and Cleopatra I.
Following the death of their mother (175), she was married to her brother, Ptolemy VI. They and their brother, Ptolemy VIII, were co-rulers of Egypt from 171 BC to 164.
In 170, Antiochus IV of Syria invaded Egypt, resulting in a war which Egypt eventually won with Rome's help in 168.
She became regent for her son Ptolemy VII on her husband's death in 145, and married her other brother, Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II the next year, whereupon Ptolemy Euergetes slew his nephew/stepson and made himself king. In 142 he took her younger daughter, his niece, Cleopatra III, as wife without divorcing his sister and made his new wife joint ruler.
Cleopatra II led a rebellion against Ptolemy in 132 and she remained hostile to him until a public reconciliation was declared in 124. She had promised the throne of Egypt to her son-in-law, Demetrius II of Syria, but in 125 BC Ptolemy had him assassinated. After this she ruled jointly with her brother and daughter until 116 when Ptolemy died, leaving the kingdom to Cleopatra III. She herself died shortly after.
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