The Works of Apuleius (Golden Ass, God of Socrates, Florida, On the Doctrines of Plato)

BOOK THE FIRST.

I HAD occasion to visit Thessaly on business; for it was there that our origin on the maternal side was derived, in the first place, from the celebrated Plutarch,Plutarch the historian was a native of Boeotia, and his nephew, Sextus (the tutor of Marcus Antoninus), likely lived after Apuleius. It follows that either this is not the famous Plutarch, or the reference to Sextus is merely an explanatory note (a gloss). There is no reason to assume Apuleius refers to his own descent from Plutarch through his mother, Salvia, as many early commentators once thought. and afterward from his grandson, Sextus, the philosopher—a fact that reflects much honor upon us. I had traveled over lofty mountains, slippery valleys, dewy turf, and thick-clodded plains, mounted on a milk-white horse of that country. As he was now much fatigued, I jumped onto my feet to shake off the numbness of my limbs by walking. I carefully wiped the sweat from my horse with a handful of leaves,Some texts read 'fronte,' meaning 'I wiped the sweat from my horse's forehead.' stroked his ears, threw the reins over his head, and walked him at a gentle pace until nature had relieved his weariness.

While he bent his head to crop the grass, I walked alongside two travelers who were on the road just ahead of me. As I listened to their conversation, one of them burst into a loud laugh and said to the other, "Do leave off telling such absurd, such monstrousSome suggest 'immania' (monstrous) is a better reading than 'inania' (empty/vain). lies."

Hearing this, I, who am generally thirsty for novelty, struck in and spoke.