Cupid and Psyche: An Adaptation from The Golden Ass of Apuleius

by Apuleius, M.G. Balme

An adaptation of the story in The Golden Ass of Apuleius by M.G. Balme and J.H.W. Morwood.

Genres: Classics, Fiction

80 pages, Paperback

Published September 9, 1976

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

[marysia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ale i tak myślę, że banger

[Sineala · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an adapted edition of Cupid and Psyche with facing student commentary, glossary, comprehension questions, and all that good stuff. There were a few places I wished the commentary had said more, some words were inexplicably not in the glossary, and there were some typos in the Latin, but all in all it was a fun and relatively easy read, as I suspect it was intended to be.

Also, if your only acquaintance with Cupid and Psyche is from that mythology book you had when you were seven, let me assure you that it is a hilarious good time in Latin. Psyche is apparently too stupid to live (and yet the narrative refuses to let her die), and, hey, you get a good katabasis out of it, plus you can check off a whole bunch of Aarne-Thompson numbers. It is the most epic fairytale that ever fairytaled. Also contains slave-beating jokes and a legal drama scene, both of which I think are probably only funny if you are an ancient Roman.

I'm not sure if I'm going to read the actual Apuleius now, but I had fun reading this.

[Amy Wilder]

Fall of 1991, my Latin II class translated Cupid and Psyche from Latin to English. I think this version is the one similar to Bulfinch's Mythology with three tasks for psyche to complete (the seeds, the fleece and the box of beauty).

[Drianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this adaptation a lot. The story is high-interest, and there is generally enough help in the notes for a 3rd-4th year Latin student.

[adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't read a paragraph from the end, but in the grand scheme of things, I think that's okay.

Read for LAT 225