An Apuleius Reader: Selections from the Metamorphoses (Bc Latin Readers)

by Apuleius

Read less than it deserves at the undergraduate level, Apuleius Metamorphoses tells the story of Lucius the ass-man and his encounters with sex, magic, robbers, storytellers, slaves, and finally the Goddess. From the cruel mockery of the Festival of Laughter to the sweet tale of Cupid and Psyche, from adventures that question human-animal boundaries to the profoundly spiritual conclusion, Apuleius constantly mingles the serious and comic, the bizarre and surreal with the quotidian details of ancient life. The selections in this Reader are designed both to represent the variety characteristic of the Metamorphoses and to create a coherent narrative of the life and trials of Lucius (and Psyche). Attention is also given to the cultural milieu of its author (second century CE Roman North Africa). Introduction to Apuleius life and works, and to the Metamorphoses background, interpretation, and style 660 lines of unadapted Latin text selected from Apuleius Metamorphoses, BOOK 1: 1.1.1 1.2.1 BOOK 2: 2.1.1 2.2.1; 2.6 7 BOOK 3: 3.1.1 3.2.5, 3.2.7 9, 3.8.1 4, 3.9.5 3.11.6; 3.21.1 3.22.5; 3.24 26 BOOK 4: 4.4 5; 4.28.1 4.30.3 BOOK 5: 5.11.3 4; 5.22 23 BOOK 6: 6.20 21; 6.23.5 6.24.4 BOOK 9: 9.12.2 9.13.5 BOOK 10: 10.16.7 10.17.6 BOOK 11: 11.1 2; 11.5.1; 11.5.3 4; 11.13; 11.15.1 3; 11.27.9; 11.30.3 5. Notes at the back and complete vocabulary One map and four illustrations

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2012

About the author

People best know The Golden Ass , work of Roman philosopher and satirist Lucius Apuleius.

Apuleius (Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis “Africanus”; Berber: Afulay) wrote Latin-language prose.

This Berber of Numidia lived under the empire. From Madaurus (now M'Daourouch, Algeria), he studied Platonism in Athens and traveled to Italy, Asia Minor and Egypt. Several cults or mysteries initiated him.
In the most famous incident in his life, people then accused him of using magic to gain the attentions and fortune of a wealthy widow. Apuleius declaimed and then distributed a witty tour de force in his own defense before the proconsul and a court of magistrates convened in Sabratha, near ancient Tripoli, Libya.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apuleius

Reviews

[Stanley Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book as far as it goes. The text is clear and the lay-out is spare (i.e. uncluttered). 81 pp. of commentary include grammatical help, definitions of unusual words, cultural, historic and biographic contextual notes, etc. and were of great help to this student of Latin. So well put together, that I almost had the illusion I could read Apuleius fluently! The book ends with a "complete vocabulary" which provides the meaning in-context for every word in the text. -- Only drawback keeping me from giving it the full five stars is that it is so abbreviated: the latin text is only 30 pp. long, so it represents just a sip of this fine wine. It leaves one hungry for more.