auletes
|au-let-es|
/ɔːˈliːtiːz/
ancient Greek aulos-player
Etymology
'auletes' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'aulētēs', where 'aulē-' meant 'pipe, aulos' and '-tēs' was an agent-forming suffix meaning 'one who'.
'auletes' changed from the ancient Greek word 'aulētēs' and was adopted into Latin (as 'auletes') and later appears in English scholarship and as an epithet (e.g., Ptolemy Auletes).
Initially, it meant 'player of the aulos (a reed instrument)', but over time it also came to be used as a proper name/epithet (for example, Ptolemy Auletes) and as a historical/scholarly term referring to such musicians.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a player of the aulos (an ancient Greek reed instrument); an ancient Greek musician who played the aulos.
At the festival, an auletes accompanied the procession with plaintive tunes.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a historical epithet/nickname meaning 'the flautist' used for Ptolemy XII (commonly called Ptolemy Auletes) — a personal name/epithet derived from the term for aulos-player.
The name auletes is best known as the epithet of Ptolemy XII of Egypt.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/19 14:20