We don't know how Cleopatra spent her days, but we do know how other Hellenistic monarchs spent their days. There has been a great amount of scholarship in the last 30 years about education in the Hellenistic world and women in the Hellenistic world. We now know how an upper-class woman was educated in her day.
This quote highlights the significant progress in historical scholarship regarding the lives of women in the Hellenistic era. It underscores how modern research unravels the daily experiences and education of upper-class women, offering a richer understanding of their societal roles. Given the lack of detailed records on Cleopatra herself, the focus on her contemporaries allows us to piece together insights about women's agency, learning, and social standing during that period. Such scholarship challenges previous assumptions and broadens our perspective on gender, education, and power in ancient civilizations.
