The Ochlos and Auletes: Alexandrian Autonomy in the First Century BCE

Abstract

This thesis aims to place Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos Philopator Philadelphos, best known by his derogatory (if convenient) nickname Auletes, within an Egyptian context. Largely overshadowed by his daughter, Cleopatra VII, and generally cast as a bumbling fool within broader triumphalist narratives of Roman Imperialism as well as a plaything amid the political intrigues of the first century BCE, Auletes is typically considered to be a weak ruler who lacked the competence and skills to effectively manage the Ptolemaic empire.

By reinterpreting the broader relationship between the city and the Ptolemaic family, and by emphasising the need for the Ptolemies to negotiate with various stakeholders, I aim to challenge conventional Romanocentric interpretations of Auletes and present a more holistic and sympathetic picture of the king. In light of his financial, dynastic, domestic, and foreign political circumstances, I suggest that Auletes was remarkably resilient, and the longevity of his rule and preservation of the Ptolemaic empire for the next generation merits reconsideration.