Roman Propaganda Continues to Tarnish Cleopatra’s Legacy

Roman propaganda has unjustly tarnished the legacy of one of history’s most formidable rulers, according to scholars who are working to separate fact from fiction in the narrative surrounding Cleopatra VII of Egypt.

Historians and archaeologists point to a calculated campaign of character assassination orchestrated by Rome’s first emperor, Octavian (later Augustus), which has distorted the public perception of the Egyptian queen for more than two millennia.

“What most people ‘know’ about Cleopatra comes directly from Roman sources that were deliberately crafted to undermine her,” says Dr. Elena Mikhailov, professor of ancient Mediterranean history at Oxford University. “The Romans were masters of propaganda, and Cleopatra became their perfect target.”

The queen, who ruled Egypt from 51 to 30 BCE, faced an unprecedented smear campaign after her death. Roman writers portrayed her as a seductress who used her feminine wiles to bewitch powerful Roman men, particularly Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, in her quest for power.

Archaeological evidence and contemporary Egyptian records tell a markedly different story. Cleopatra was a shrewd political strategist, multilingual diplomat, and economic reformer who successfully navigated Egypt through a period of intense Roman expansionism in the Mediterranean.

“She spoke at least seven languages and was the first ruler in her dynasty to learn Egyptian, showing a remarkable commitment to connecting with her subjects,” explains Dr. Samira Ahmed, curator of Egyptian antiquities at the British Museum. “These accomplishments were deliberately downplayed by Roman historians to create a one-dimensional caricature.”

The Roman narrative, crafted primarily by writers working under Augustus, emphasized Cleopatra’s relationships with Caesar and Antony while minimizing her political acumen. This distortion served a specific purpose: to justify Rome’s conquest of Egypt and the suicide of Antony, Augustus’s main rival for power.

Recent archaeological findings continue to challenge these Roman accounts. Excavations in Alexandria have uncovered evidence of Cleopatra’s ambitious building programs and economic reforms that stabilized Egypt during her reign.

“She was essentially running the breadbasket of the Mediterranean,” notes Dr. Carlos Mendez, archaeologist and director of the Alexandria Underwater Archaeological Project. “Egypt’s grain exports were crucial to Rome, which explains why controlling this region was so important to Augustus’s imperial ambitions.”

The queen’s strategic alliances with Rome, first through Caesar and later with Mark Antony, have been reframed by modern scholars as calculated diplomatic moves rather than romantic entanglements. These relationships provided Egypt with critical Roman military protection at a time when the republic was the dominant force in the region.

“Cleopatra was fighting for Egypt’s independence and her dynasty’s survival,” says Dr. Ahmed. “Her relationships with Roman leaders were politically strategic in an era when marriage alliances were common diplomatic tools.”

The Roman portrayal of Cleopatra continues to influence popular culture today. From Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra” to Hollywood films, the queen is frequently depicted primarily through the lens of her relationships rather than her governance.

A forthcoming major museum exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art aims to present a more balanced view of the Egyptian ruler. “Cleopatra: Beyond the Myth” will showcase artifacts from her reign alongside critical analysis of Roman texts to help visitors distinguish between historical fact and political fiction.

“What happened to Cleopatra’s image represents perhaps the most successful character assassination campaign in history,” remarks Dr. Mikhailov. “It’s taken scholars centuries to begin unraveling the damage done by Augustus’s propagandists.”

The exhibition comes at a time of increasing public interest in historical female leadership figures whose accomplishments have been diminished or misrepresented through male-dominated historical records.

Historians emphasize that understanding how Cleopatra’s image was manipulated provides valuable insights into how propaganda functions in political conflicts throughout history—a lesson with continued relevance in today’s information-saturated world.

“The Romans understood that controlling the narrative was as important as winning the actual war,” concludes Dr. Mendez. “Two thousand years later, we’re still working to uncover the truth behind their carefully constructed fictions.”