Introduction

hero of the Metamorphoses The Metamorphoses, also known as The Golden Ass, is the only ancient Roman novel in Latin to survive in its entirety. (book 11, chapter 27). At an early age the young Apuleius was sent to school at Carthage A major Roman city in modern-day Tunisia, then a center of Latin learning. (Florida A collection of excerpts from Apuleius's speeches. 18), whence on attaining to manhood he proceeded to complete his education at Athens (Florida cited above). There he studied philosophy, rhetoric, geometry, music, and poetry (Florida 20), and laid the foundations of that encyclopaedic, if superficial knowledge, which in after years he so delighted to parade. On leaving Athens he set forth on lengthy travels, in the course of which he spent a large portion of his patrimony Inheritance from his father. (Apologia Apuleius's legal defense against charges of magic. 23). He speaks of the temple of Hera The Greek queen of the gods. at Samos as an eyewitness (Florida 15), and elsewhere mentions a visit to Hierapolis in Phrygia An ancient city in modern-day Turkey. (On the Universe original: "de mundo" 17). Returning from the East he came to Corinth, where—if we may accept his identification of himself with the Lucius of the Metamorphoses—he fell into the clutches of the priests of Isis An Egyptian goddess whose mystery cult was highly popular in the Roman Empire., who played upon his emotional and superstitious temperament to their hearts' content. He was first initiated into the mysteries of Isis (Metamorphoses book 11, chapters 23, 24). A few days after this auspicious event the goddess appeared to him in a vision and bade him set forth homewards. He therefore took ship for Rome, where for the space of a year he dwelt, a fervent worshipper at the temple of Isis on the Campus Martius The "Field of Mars," a publicly owned area in ancient Rome.. Once more visions of the night began to afflict him; he consulted the priests and discovered the cause; he required yet to be initiated into the mysteries of Osiris The Egyptian god of the afterlife and husband of Isis.. The priests of Corinth had worked upon his credulity to such good effect, that he found himself in serious financial