Was Cleopatra a Feminist?
Beatrice Popescu
PhD Psychologist | Specialist Psychotherapist | Mental Health | Anxiety Help | Depression Support | Stress & Burnout Relief
Cleopatra VII, the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, has captivated the imaginations of historians, writers, and feminists for centuries.
A woman of exceptional political acumen, linguistic prowess, and unyielding ambition, Cleopatra ruled as both a monarch and a symbol of Egypt’s resilience in the face of Roman imperialism.
But was Cleopatra a feminist in the modern sense of the term, or is this a projection of contemporary values onto a figure of antiquity?
Let's unpack Cleopatra’s life through the lenses of historical documentation and feminist theory, presenting her as a paradoxical figure, at once a trailblazing woman in a patriarchal world and a product of her time’s limitations.
Cleopatra's Life: The Context of Power and Patriarchy
To evaluate Cleopatra as a feminist, we must first explore the environment in which she operated.
Egypt, under the Ptolemies, was a Hellenistic society that provided some opportunities for women in comparison to Rome but still operated within a patriarchal framework.
Cleopatra inherited the throne in 51 BCE alongside her brother-husband Ptolemy XIII.
Her ascension was not an anomaly in Ptolemaic Egypt, where queens often played significant roles in governance, but her consolidation of sole power was extraordinary.
Key Features of Cleopatra’s Reign:
Feminist Interpretations: Was Cleopatra a "Liberated" Woman?
While Cleopatra did not campaign for women's rights as we understand them today, her life and rule align with several principles of feminist theory, particularly those concerning agency, autonomy, and resistance to patriarchal domination.
Feminism: Then and Now
Before we crown Cleopatra the first feminist, let us define the battleground. Feminism, in its modern incarnation, is an advocacy for gender equality, challenging patriarchal systems, and amplifying the voices of women.
Cleopatra’s world, however, was not privy to TED Talks or suffragette movements. It was an age when male power reigned supreme, both in the marble columns of Rome and the sunlit temples of Egypt.
Thus, our question becomes more nuanced: did Cleopatra’s actions, intentional or not, carve out a space for women in realms traditionally monopolized by men? Or was she simply an extraordinary individual—a political meteor who refused to let her gender define her limits?
Arguments Supporting Cleopatra as a Feminist Figure:
Breaking Gender Norms: Cleopatra wielded power in ways typically reserved for men. Her political strategies, military command, and intellectual achievements challenged the gendered expectations of her era. Historian Stacy Schiff, in Cleopatra: A Life (2010), writes,
“She made her own rules in a world that allowed women very few of them.”
Economic Autonomy: Cleopatra's control over Egypt's wealth allowed her to command loyalty and negotiate from a position of strength. This aligns with bell hooks' argument in Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center (1984) that economic independence is foundational to feminist liberation.
Symbol of Female Sovereignty: Her iconic status as a queen who stood against Rome has inspired countless feminist movements. Cleopatra’s defiance of Octavian’s propaganda—depicting her as a seductress rather than a strategist—resonates with the feminist critique of how history diminishes powerful women.
Arguments Against Cleopatra as a Feminist Figure:
Instrumental Relationships: Critics argue that Cleopatra’s reliance on relationships with powerful men undercuts her feminist credentials.
As historian Michael Grant notes in Cleopatra (1972), “Her strength lay not in subverting patriarchy but in mastering its tools.”
Elite Privilege: Cleopatra’s actions primarily benefited herself and the Ptolemaic dynasty, not Egyptian women at large.
Feminist writer Angela Davis emphasizes the importance of collective liberation over individual success—a standard Cleopatra arguably does not meet.
Cleopatra in Feminist Discourse: Modern Interpretations
Modern feminist writers often grapple with Cleopatra’s legacy as a complex archetype. While some, like Simone de Beauvoir in The Second Sex (1949), view her as an example of women who succeed in patriarchal systems by adopting masculine traits, others celebrate her for embodying fluid and adaptive leadership.
Key Quotations from Historians:
“She was a woman of surpassing beauty, and at that time, when she was in the prime of her youth, she was most striking. She possessed a most charming voice and a knowledge of how to make herself agreeable to everyone.” (Roman History, Book 51)
“Her beauty, as we are told, was in itself not altogether incomparable, nor such as to strike those who saw her; but the contact of her presence … had something stimulating about it.” (Life of Antony)
“Cleopatra stood at one of the most dangerous intersections in history: that of women and power.” (Cleopatra: A Life, 2010)
Key Feminist Perspectives:
Rome, Love, and Power: Cleopatra’s Calculated Partnerships
The Cleopatra-Caesar relationship has often been relegated to a footnote of seduction, but such a simplification does Cleopatra a grave disservice.
True, she bore Caesar’s child, cementing a personal bond with the Roman leader. But Cleopatra was not a lovesick ingénue; she was a shrewd strategist. Aligning herself with Caesar wasn’t a matter of passion—it was political insurance.
After Caesar’s assassination, Cleopatra turned her attention to Marc Antony, forming a partnership that was as much about empire-building as it was about romance. Together, they sought to establish a Hellenistic superpower, a rival to Rome, with Cleopatra as its co-sovereign.
In this partnership, Cleopatra was no mere consort. She funded Antony’s campaigns with Egypt’s vast resources, governed her kingdom independently, and participated in military strategies.
Her role as an equal in a male-dominated political sphere challenges traditional narratives of gendered power. Feminist credentials? Perhaps Cleopatra didn’t dismantle the patriarchy, but she certainly rewrote the rules for women in power.
The Feminist Lens: Why Cleopatra Matters Today
In assessing Cleopatra’s feminist credentials, we must resist the temptation to project modern ideals onto ancient figures. Cleopatra was no suffragette; her goals were personal and dynastic, not collective or systemic. She did not campaign for women’s rights or challenge patriarchy as a whole.
Yet, Cleopatra’s story remains deeply relevant to feminist discourse. Her life demonstrates how women can navigate and even dominate male-dominated systems through intelligence, resourcefulness, and sheer determination. She defied the expectations of her time, proving that power and ambition were not exclusively male domains.
Conclusion: A Proto-Feminist, Perhaps?
Cleopatra’s life resists easy categorization. While she may not have been a feminist in intent, her actions resonate with feminist ideals of agency, resilience, and defiance against patriarchal constraints. As we study Cleopatra, we must tread carefully, acknowledging her achievements without anachronistically imposing modern ideologies upon her. Perhaps Cleopatra was not a feminist by design but remains an enduring symbol of what women can achieve when they dare to rule their world.
Bibliography