Why was Cleopatra respected?

Cleopatra was not respected until after her death. By committing suicide she gained stature in Roman eyes. However during her lifetime she was reviled and hated. True this was in part due to Octavian's Propaganda, but this was only at Rome. In Cleo's part of the world she was also hated, due in a large part to her feud with Herod and her greed for more territory. The entire business of "poor Cleopatra, a woman ruling in a man's world" is present day thinking and a lot of present day revision of history.