An ancient Greek musician who played the aulos, a double-reeded wind instrument used in religious ceremonies, theater, and festivals.
From Greek aulos 'double-reeded pipe' + -etes 'one who plays'. The term appears throughout ancient Greek literature and inscriptions about musical performances.
Auletes were so respected that they belonged to professional guilds and traveled internationally to perform—they were the celebrity musicians of their era!
Aulete (singular flute player) carried gender marking in Greek: auletai (male), auletris (female). This linguistic split reflects how women's musical roles were categorized separately from presumed-default male practice.
Use 'aulete' only for specific historical male references; prefer 'aulos musician' or 'flute player' for gender-neutral context.
["aulos musician","flute player","double-pipe performer"]
Female auletes were highly skilled performers who commanded significant fees, yet are often rendered invisible in male-authored texts. Their economic and artistic power warrants explicit recognition.
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