Great question, and the answer is a resounding "absolutely!" Cleopatra VII Philopator was a well-known historical figure, and in particular one of the most powerful female rulers in antiquity, so she was recognized throughout the ancient Mediterranean and especially in regions with a strong Hellenistic tradition. I'm glad you mention Zenobia, both because she is one of the other power female rulers of antiquity, and also she is the subject of most of my expertise, so I will talk about her specifically. First, let's start with a little background on Zenobia's rise to power.
Septimia Zenobia was the wife of Septimius Odenathus, the ruler of the small city-state Palmyra in the mid-late third century AD. Odenathus held many titles, first ras or "lord" or "king" of the city. In this role he performed important military actions against the invading Sassanid Persians, defending Roman territory at a time where it was gravely weakened in the east, and thereby preserving the empire's eastern provinces at a time of great crisis. For these acts he was granted the Latin titles dux romanorum, "commander of the Romans," a military title identifying his position as chief military commander in the east, and perhaps more importantly corrector totius orientis, "corrector of the East," a hitherto nonexistent position of uncertain magnitude, potentially proclaiming Odenathus’ supremacy over the Roman governors of the eastern provinces and the generals of the armies. One source, the particularly unreliable Historia Augusta, also claims he assumed the title mlk mlk', "King of Kings," from his defeated Persian rivals, but this is unsupported by further evidence. Either way, Odenathus held considerable sway in the region, and it is through him that Zenobia enters the picture.
At the height of his power Odenathus is shockingly struck down, possibly assassinated by a jealous relative, but sources of this time period are frustratingly thin and unreliable (particularly disappointing because they depict such an interesting time, though that is exactly why few sources exist). With Odenathus dead Zenobia quickly assumed the regency on behalf of their young son Septimius Vaballathus. Vaballathus’s age is not known, but he was apparently a minor at the time of his father’s death, so his mother took the regency. She took quick action to ensure her son’s succession, conferring on him all of the titles that had formerly been held by her husband. While it was typical practice in the succession of many eastern rulers of Syria and Persia to pass down titles from father to son, most Roman titles were not hereditary. Therefore, it is possible that Vaballathus’s assumption of Odenathus’s Roman military and political titles may have been seen as an unintentional provocation against Roman power, though it would later grow into outright rebellion. Early in her regency Zenobia continued the pro-Roman policies of her husband, guarding the border against the Sassanids and minting coins with the Roman Emperor, Claudius Gothicus, depicted.
However, that policy abruptly changed in 270 AD when a Palmyrene army marched against the Roman province of Egypt and slaughtered the Roman garrison and its governor, Tenagino Probus. From this moment, Zenobia's intentions of independent rule are apparent, through her actions fighting Roman armies, as well as through what archaeological evidence remains. Coinage no longer depicts Roman figures but instead Vaballathus and Zenobia herself. Furthermore, Zenobia took pains to portray herself in a different model, along the Hellenistic rather than Roman tradition.
And this is where Cleopatra's memory enters in. Zenobia openly identified herself with Cleopatra, the beautiful and ambitious queen of Ptolemaic Egypt who so famously defied Rome. Her statues in the city bore resemblance to those of Cleopatra in Alexandria. She highlighted Palmyra’s old Ptolemaic connections by restoring Ptolemaic monuments in Alexandria and throughout Egypt. The Palmyrene elites at least tolerated this imaging, and some were overt in their respect for it. For example, Callinicus of Petra, a Greek orator and well-known Sophist who emigrated from Petra to Athens to teach, and who was apparently a friend of Roman Emperor Gallienus, dedicated his ten-volume work on the history of Alexandria to “Zenobia, the new Cleopatra.” Callinicus’s work does not survive, but he appears to have been a strong supporter of Palmyra’s empire. He moved from Athens first to Palmyra, and later to Alexandria after its conquest by Palmyra. Another Hellenistic philosopher, Cassius Longinus, a Platonist, became a teacher and chief counselor to Zenobia throughout her rule. Zenobia painted herself as Cleopatra reborn, and the Hellenistic world responded positively, demonstrating the continued weight of the legacy of Cleopatra. The Historia Augusta confirms this Hellenistic representation, explaining that Zenobia “boasted herself to be of the family of the Cleopatras and the Ptolemies."
Just like Cleopatra before her, Zenobia would eventually be defeated by Roman armies, though unlike Cleopatra it appears that Zenobia was captured alive and brought to Rome to be paraded in golden chains. So in answer to your question, yes, the legacy of Cleopatra remained firmly in the minds of the rulers of antiquity, especially in the Hellenistic east. Zenobia tapped into this legacy in her own depictions, and both queens would eventually suffer at the hands of the Romans they sought to defy.
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