August II (also called Augustus II the Strong or August II Mocny) was born on May 12, 1670 to John George III Wettin, elector of Saxony and Anne Sophie of Denmark. His was thus a cousin of Charles XII of Sweden and Frederick IV of Denmark.
In 1694 he became Elector of Saxony as Frederick Augustus I of Saxony. Following the death of the Polish king John III Sobieski, from 1697-1704 and from 1709-1733 he was the king of Poland as August II of Poland.
One of his sons, Augustus III of Poland[?], followed him as Elector of Saxony and as King of Poland.
August II was called August the Strong for his bearlike strength and also for his supposedly numerous offspring. It is sometimes written that he sired 365 children, but this appears to be a misinterpretation. He had one illegitimate child. It was once written that Augustus II ‘had as many bastards as there are days in the year, minus one’.. but this was written on the second day of the year, meaning only that he had one bastard, not that he had 364. He died February 1, 1733.
