Ptolemy XII Auletes Early Life, Career, and Parents
Among all those kings, perhaps the very image of intrigues and schemes that define the world of Egyptian kings can be considered to be Ptolemy XII Auletes. His political plotting, dynastic conflict, and continuing attempts at confirming his nephews’ submission provide a tantalizing view of the Ptolemaic Kingdom’s final three decades before Roman takeover.
Believing in the direct lineage of Alexander the Great’s empire, Ptolemy was XII of the Ptolemaic dynasty of rulers in Egypt; a highly political environment that shaped his presidency.
Early Life
Ptolemy XII came through time of string political instability. Since he was a direct descendant of the illustrious line of the Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt since the time of Alexander’s conquest, he succeeded to a throne which was becoming gradually more and more threatened by internal conflict and external pressures. Born and raised in the system where the Hellenistic kingdoms struggled in late dynastic politics, he grew up understanding very well their internal power struggles.
Career
It is worthy to note that Ptolemy XII’s career was quite complex but not at all linear. Many factors would challenge even the most experienced personal in assuming, let alone sustain power as was the case with his majesty.
His reign started in the year 80BCE and by the time took over as king, his kingdom was already facing some decline. The type of king Ptolemy XII was does not allow him to preserve Egyptian sovereignty and its great reputation of the ancestors.
The relations between him and the city-state people of Rome are perhaps one of his most distinguishing features of his reign. Several factors have led to this conclusion: In the course of the growth of the Roman republic power over Egyptian independence became steadily weaker.
Ptolemy XII often called on Romans for aid and relied on diplomacy, and large payments to ensure his continue stay. He was at one point overthrown and had to flee to Rome, where he spent most of his time lobbying for Roman support for his return.
About Parents: Ptolemy IX Soter
Ptolemy XII’s father Ptolemy IX Soter II was not only a successful but, at the same time, rather an enigmatic Mısır. Perhaps, due to instability, which characterized Ptolemy IX’s rule after he had been in power and then exiled for a while, his son was going to face some difficulties.
The many political problems that Ptolemy IX witnessed indicated that his son was not going to find it easy in the line of succession. The weakness of the kingdom to be inherited by Ptolemy XII and the continual challenges to royal authority characterized the late Ptolemaic age.
Ptolemy XII must have got it early in his kingship that power was something that had to be worked for and this entailed bargaining and even having to give in at times and even strategizing. Ptolemy XII Auletes had a very difficult political context, but he was key to the process of Egypt and moving it from an independent monarchy to become a Roman province.
