Cleopatra VII The Muse

In this next installment of our Mighty Muse Series,we will discuss the legendary Queen Cleopatra VII. This is a look beyond the seductress stereotype and into the mind of a sovereign strategist, linguist, and cultural icon. As the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty, Cleopatra wasn’t just a queen—she was a living symbol of resistance, intellect, and divine femininity. This post reclaims her legacy, decoding the layers of myth, power, and political mastery that made her muse-worthy across centuries. From Nile rituals to Roman alliances, Cleopatra’s story is a mirror for modern women navigating beauty, brilliance, and empire.

Cleopatra The Priestess of Isis

As Pharaoh, Cleopatra was considered a divine intermediary between gods and people—a role that fused political and religious power. Cleopatra presented herself as the living embodiment of Isis, the Egyptian goddess of magic, motherhood, and protection.She participated in religious rituals, dressed in sacred regalia, and was depicted in temple art performing priestly duties—especially in Dendera and Philae. She was the only Ptolemaic ruler to learn the Egyptian language, allowing her to engage directly with native priesthoods and rituals. Her reign revitalized temple patronage, including restoration projects and dedications to Egyptian(Nubian) deities.

A Pharoah of the People

Cleopatra VII was the daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes, the Macedonian Greek ruler of Egypt. Most historians believe her mother was Cleopatra V Tryphaena, one of Ptolemy XII’s wives (and possibly his sister, as was common in the Ptolemaic dynasty).However, there is more evidence suggesting that Cleopatras mother was one of Ptlolemy's Nubian servants/concubines. If Cleopatra's mother was a native Egyptian, Cleopatra may have had mixed heritage, which would explain her unusually strong embrace of Egyptian language and religion compared to her Ptolemaic predecessors.The ambiguity around Cleopatra’s mother adds to her mystique. She is remembered as the only Ptolemaic ruler to speak Egyptian fluently and to embody Isis in priestly rituals—suggesting she consciously aligned herself with native Egyptian identity.

After Julius Caesar’s assassination in 44 BCE, Rome was divided between rival leaders.Mark Antony, a powerful Roman general and member of the Second Triumvirate, allied himself with Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, to secure wealth and military support. Cleopatra's consort Mark Antony, was symbolically cast as Osiris, reinforcing their divine union. Cleopatra and Anthony met in 41 BCE in Tarsus (modern Turkey). Cleopatra arrived in a dazzling display, styled as Aphrodite/Isis, which captivated Anthony.They had three children together: Alexander Helios, Cleopatra Selene II, and Ptolemy Philadelphus.

Anthony’s alliance with Cleopatra alarmed Rome, especially his rival Octavian (later Augustus).Roman propaganda painted Cleopatra as a dangerous seductress who had bewitched Anthony, undermining his loyalty to Rome.The rivalry culminated in the Battle of Actium (31 BCE), where Octavian’s forces defeated Anthony and Cleopatra’s fleet.Cleopatra, refusing to be paraded as a captive in Rome, later took her own life in a joint suicide along her love, Mark Anthony, by allowing a posionous Asp(Cobra) snake to bite them.

Cleopatra and Anthony embody the fusion of love and politics, where intimacy becomes inseparable from empire.Their story has been retold for centuries as a cautionary tale, a romance, and a symbol of resistance against imperial domination.

A Tale of Tenacity

Cleopatra VII’s reign (51–30 BCE) was marked by wars of survival, as she fought to preserve Egypt’s independence against both internal rivals and the expanding power of Rome.Cleopatra’s wars were not just military—they were wars of identity and survival.She fought to keep Egypt sovereign in the face of Rome’s imperial expansion.Her use of divine imagery (Isis and Osiris with Antony) turned these wars into mythic struggles, not just political ones.

Cleopatra’s wars reshaped both her fate and Egypt’s destiny. Her first civil war against her brother Ptolemy XIII ended with his death at the Battle of the Nile (47 BCE), restoring her to the throne under Julius Caesar’s protection.The Alexandrian War secured her position but deepened Egypt’s dependence on Rome. Her conflict with her sister Arsinoë IV ended in execution, eliminating a rival but staining her reign with blood. The final and most decisive struggle—the war against Octavian—culminated in the Battle of Actium (31 BCE), where Cleopatra and Mark Antony’s fleet was crushed.Their joint suicides in 30 BCE marked not only the end of their personal saga but also the fall of the Ptolemaic dynasty, as Egypt was absorbed into the Roman Empire.

Photo Credit-The Art of Poncho and Jozef-Szekeres