Date of Award
Summer 7-24-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Public History
First Advisor
Linda Van Ingen
Second Advisor
Will Stoutamire
Third Advisor
Hannah Lahti
Committee Members
- Linda Van Ingen
- Will Stoutamire
- Sandra Loughrin
- Hannah Lahti
Keywords
Cleopatra, Cleopatra VII, The Roman Republic, The Roman Empire, Ptolemaic Egypt, Hellenistic Greece, Julius Caesar, Gaius Octavius, Caesar Augustus, Marcus Antonius
Abstract
Cleopatra VII is one of the most famous women in history. As Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BCE and a major player in the Augustan age, she had the power to change the fate of empires. Despite her powerful position in history, however, Cleopatra’s historical narrative is often focused on the alliances that surrounded her. She has been portrayed as a seductive ruler who snared Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius and whose drive for power led to the downfall of her kingdom. This original image of Cleopatra seems to have stemmed from the Augustan propaganda from Rome, largely influenced by ancient historians who had never met her. Over the years, however, this image has been re-examined. Significantly, a gendered lens that puts Cleopatra at the center of analysis shows that Cleopatra was an effective strategist who attempted to maintain her country's independence in the face of the Roman Empire. This reassessment is similar to the reinterpretations of many other powerful historical women such as Anne Boleyn and La Malinche who were dismissed and have since been re-empowered in the historical narrative. Despite this change in narrative being well documented in academic literature, late Twentieth and Twenty-first Century museums have struggled to reflect this change. Exhibits named after Cleopatra have to navigate between the power of propagandistic memory and the gendered analysis that dislodges it. Examining a variety of exhibits stretching from 1989 to 2026 reveals this tension. Cleopatra’s representation in the public museum space continues to be problematic due to the complexity of her propagandistic and gendered legacy.
Recommended Citation
Myrick, Jordan L., "FROM SEDUCTRESS TO SOVEREIGN: A REASSESSMENT OF CLEOPATRA VII’S POWER, GENDER, AND HISTORIC REPRESENTATION" (2026). History Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity. 46.
https://openspaces.unk.edu/hist-etd/46