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Apuleius the Golden Ass
Paperback
Classic FictionGeneral Fiction
ISBN13: 9781025283388
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 294
Weight: 0.91
Height: 0.62 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Apuleius the Golden Ass, also known as the Metamorphoses, stands as the only complete Roman novel to survive from antiquity. Written in the second century AD, this masterpiece blends bawdy humor, picaresque adventure, and profound spiritual allegory. The narrative follows the adventures of Lucius, a young man whose insatiable curiosity and fascination with magic lead to a disastrous error: he is accidentally transformed into a donkey.
Retaining his human intellect while trapped in animal form, Lucius embarks on a series of trials, passing from one master to another. Through his unique perspective, the reader is granted a vivid, often satirical look at the social and moral landscape of the Roman Empire. The work is famous for its numerous embedded narratives, most notably the celebrated story of Cupid and Psyche, which adds a layer of mythological depth and beauty to the raucous plot.
Ultimately, the journey of Lucius concludes with a solemn religious conversion and his restoration to human form through the grace of the goddess Isis. This edition highlights the enduring influence of this classical work on Western literature, offering a window into the development of the novel and the complexities of ancient belief and society.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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