Product Description
The Golden Asse is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Lucius Apuleius is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Lucius Apuleius then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Apuleius's Golden Ass is a unique, entertaining, and thoroughly readable Latin novel--the only work of fiction in Latin to have survived from antiquity. It tells the story of the hero Lucius, whose curiosity and fascination for sex and magic results in his transformation into an ass. After suffering a series of trials and humiliations, he is ultimately returned to human shape by the kindness of the goddess Isis. Simultaneously a blend of romantic adventure, fable, and religious testament, The Golden Ass is one of the truly seminal works of European literature, of intrinsic interest as a novel in its own right, and one of the earliest examples of the picaresque. This new translation is at once faithful to the meaning of the Latin, while reproducing all the exuberance of theoriginal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Overlooked Classic
This review is based on the Oxford World Classics edition, translated by P.G. Walsh.THE GOLDEN ASS by Apulius is not a household title in the list of classics, but it was much better known and more often enjoyed by many of our reading predecessors.In fact, Apulius's Latin "novel" -- a 2nd-century version of the picaresque -- influenced such well-known classical writers as Petrarch, Boccaccio, Cervantes, Spenser, Marlowe, and, of course, that master "borrower" who reinvented so many themes and made them his own, Shakespeare.

THE GOLDEN ASS tells the story of a young rake named Lucius who proves a little too curious about the magic arts and gets turned into an ass for his troubles.After the conversion, Lucius goes through a parade of owners who mistreat him and witnesses all manner of misadventures, sometimes in an active and sometimes in a passive role.The well-known technique of a "story within a story" is also utilized, as Apulius treats us to the story of Cupid and Psyche.It serves as an echo to the main plot, as Psyche similarly pays a price for excessive curiosity.Entertaining and at times ribald, THE GOLDEN ASS can be enjoyed both for its story and for its importance in influencing many classic works to follow, such as THE DECAMERON, DON QUIXOTE, and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.

Although many translations are available, Walsh's seems to hold true to the original without blanching in the face of Apulius's bawdy spirit.The book ends with a curious, moralizing chapter centered on Lucius's conversion to the worship of Isis, but your interest will not waver.Considering its pedigree, THE GOLDEN ASS is worthy of a greater readership among both casual and serious fans of the classics.

Long-Legged Beasties and Things that Go Bump in the Night
We are very lucky to have Professor Walsh's witty and salty translation of Apuleius' second-century picaresque novel, "The Golden Ass." The only Roman novel to survive the ravages of time in its entirety, "The Golden Ass"--also called "Metamorphoses"--tells how a young Greek man of good family, through curiosity about magic and sex, becomes transformed into an ass in both the literal and the figurative senses of the word. The story, which abounds with tales within tales within tales that follow the crazy logic of dreams and nightmares, follows Lucius on his adventures in both his human and animal forms, as he wanders the Roman world, seeking the redemption through the goddess Isis, which will allow him to resume his human persona.

During the course of Lucius' asinine adventures, which he likens to an Odyssey-gone-wrong, he (and we through his donkey's eyes) encounters all manner of witches, robbers, pretty women, strumpets, and other wastrels, who usually threaten him, or lead him down false paths, deterring him from reaching his final destination. Then, in the midst of the sometimes violent madness of one of the robber's tales, Apuleius inserts the enchanting romance of Cupid and Psyche, a charming metaphor that reflects Lucius' own curiosity and preoccupations.

Apuleius' novel is more than an entertainment, however; despite the story's fantastic framework, it lends us insight into the customs, beliefs, superstitions, rituals, and the stories that entertained upper class readers of the Roman empire (Apuleius was a well-to-do Roman citizen of North Africa, who studied rhetoric in both Carthage and Athens). The very survival of "The Golden Ass" testifies to its readability. Indeed, the novel, which will often have one laughing out loud, has delighted readers through the ages, influencing the likes of Boccaccio, Chaucer, Shakespeare and Pre-Raphaelite artists, as well as us lesser mortals who appreciate reading one good story after another.

Tollete, legete, et gaudete!--Take, read, and enjoy!

The Adult Version of Empire's New Groove
I found this book to be funny, and interesting towards how the citizens viewed ancient roman religion.

In an overall view of the book it reminded me of The Empire's New Groove. A jerk learning his lesson by being turned into a donkey. Or in the case, an ass gets turned into an ass.

If you can get passed some of the tricky word fashion wording and can distinguish between roman gods from todays terms, you will be all set to enjoy.

Looking for an ancient well written book? Here it is!!


I don't read fiction because it generally is not an attempt to replicat some sort of historical events. And so I feel it is a waste of my valuable time just to read for fictional pleasure (you see I read for historical knowledge).But I was looking for an easy read on my last cruise and this popped up. Because my interests are in First century Judaism/Christianity I thought it would provide good background (though fanciful!)and also because it's the only extant Latin novel from the first century to survive.

What I loved about this book was how well it was written. Words were not minced nor piled upon as baggage to tell this tale. Many authors can learn from this book simple in its writing style, use of words, syntaxical style and not just in the plot. Though the story is simply a fantasy (see the other reviews on content) it brings home valuable truths. For instance that not only can curioristy kill the cat but any young man can too! It also gave common everyday insights into the "gods" role they play with mankind. This was were I got excited as I felt I had an eye into the first century socialiological milieu.

Thus if you are looking for a quick read (give or take 7 hours); want excellant respectable writing; interested in First/Second century view of gods and peoples understanding of them; want to get your mind off of daily boredom, then read this book. I think you can get it for about $7 bucks... ... Read more

Product Description
Written towards the end of the second century AD, "The Golden Ass" tells the story of the many adventures of a young man whose fascination with witchcraft leads him to be transformed into a donkey. The bewitched Lucius passes from owner to owner - encountering a desperate gang of robbers and being forced to perform lewd 'human' tricks on stage - until the Goddess Isis finally breaks the spell and Lucius is initiated into her cult. Apuleius' enchanting story has inspired generations of writers such as Boccaccio, Shakespeare, Cervantes and Keats with its dazzling combination of allegory, satire, bawdiness and sheer exuberance, and remains the most continuously and accessibly amusing book to have survived from Classical antiquity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A classic, what can I say...?
This book is a riveting classic. I couldn't put it down. The language and style is as good today as when it was created, and the pace is well set. However the ending is somewhat anti-climactic.

A classic...
I only bought this books for a history class. But after I read it this story offers many lessons and its humor stands the test of time. I liked it, it was cheaper than the school bookstore and i still own it.

A Complex and Entralling Work
Lucius Apuleius was one of the main representatives of North African Platonism during the second century (AD).He wrote works ranging from philosophy and medicine to poetry and rhetoric.Apuleius is best known for his remarkable collection of tales, The Golden Ass or Transformations.It is a playful satire containing the use of many different genres, much like one would find in the Mennepian satires of Petronius, Seneca, Fulgentius, or Macrobius.It is a complex and enthralling work in which interpretation is always open-ended.Apuleius' use of allegory, his exceptional talent for imagery, and his rhythmic and often poetic prose, make this text a challenge and a joy to read at the same time.The Golden Ass is definitely a masterpiece of Latin literature and can also argue of being the world's first novel.

Absolutely hilarious, a classic
Apuleius' great work is not read enough. As the story of an libertine who is unfortunately changed into an ass unfolds, we see a satire unfold that provides both entertainment and a biting commentary of life in the ancient Greco-Roman world. The book shows you the great distance between us moderns and the ancients, but what is likely to surprise you the most is precisely the opposite: those ways in which we are so similar. ... Read more

Product Description
"Today there is much discussion of the liberation of women, " writes Marie-Louise von Franz, "but it is sometimes overlooked that this can only succeed if there is a change in men as well. Just as women have to overcome the patriarchal tyrant in their own souls, men have to liberate and differentiate their inner femininity. Only then will a better relationship of the sexes be possible." It is this timely theme that Dr. von Franz explores in her psychological study of a classic work of the second century, The Golden Assby Apuleius of Madaura. The novel recounts the adventures of a young Roman who is transformed into an ass and eventually finds spiritual renewal through initiation into the Isis mysteries. With its many tales within a tale (including the celebrated story of Psyche and Eros), the text as interpreted by Dr. von Franz is a rich source of insights, anecdotes, and scholarly amplification. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fascinating
A great amplification on an acient text.References to the original text are brief and it would probably benefit the reader to have a translation of the original text as well as Von Franz commentary.

If you're a gay man...
do yourself a favor and read this book. There's no better insight into the gay male psyche, and understanding it, than this masterpiece by von Franz. Not that that was her intention in writing the book, but the book's theme, the development of a healthy relationship to the inner feminine, is something many gay men need to experience. If I had to choose reading Jung over von Franz I'd take Marie Louise any day. She has a way of conveying instantly the ideas that Jung labored over presenting in an academic fashion, which is understandable, given his role as the grand wizard.

Clarity and Depth
I can't say enough good things about M-L von Franz.She is not only gifted with great insight, but she is a terrific teacher.Her writing is clear, and the subject is endlessly fascinating.I am of the opinion that if a person truly understands his/her subject, he/she should be able to explain it clearly and fully.There is no question that von Franz understands her subject, and she writes it in a way that is accessible to everyone, whether they have studied Jung for years or are interested in an introduction to his thought. ... Read more

Product Description
An annotated edition of Book 1 of Apuleius' novel Metamorphoses, this text is suitable for a student's first unadapted author, or in combination with other readings at the intermediate level. Book 1 exhibits the spontaneity and ebullience of Apuleius' Latin as well as his ability to engage the reader with a lively story. It is the perfect text to put variety into the Latin curriculum.

Special Features * Introduction * Foreword, 'Book One and Apuleius' Metamorphoses,' by Steven Nimis * Latin text based on R. Helm (Teubner, 2nd edition, 1913) * Same page vocabulary and grammatical/syntactical notes * Complete Latin-English vocabulary * Select bibliography of works in English, for the student interpreter

For over 30 years Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers has produced the highest quality Latin and ancient Greek books. From Dr. Seuss books in Latin to Plato's Apology, Bolchazy-Carducci's titles help readers learn about ancient Rome and Greece; the Latin and ancient Greek languages are alive and well with titles like Cicero's De Amicitia and Kaegi's Greek Grammar. We also feature a line of contemporary eastern European and WWII books.

Some of the areas we publish in include:

Selections From The Aeneid
Latin Grammar & Pronunciation
Greek Grammar & Pronunciation
Texts Supporting Wheelock's Latin
Classical author workbooks: Vergil, Ovid, Horace, Catullus, Cicero
Vocabulary Cards For AP Selections: Vergil, Ovid, Catullus, Horace
Greek Mythology
Greek Lexicon
Slovak Culture And History ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Provides Latin text, notes and vocabulary
Schools at the advanced high school to college grade levels which still have curriculums of Latin studies will welcome this annotated edition of Apeleius' novel classic. Apuleius: Metamorphoses Book 1 can be used in combination with other readings and provides Latin text, notes and vocabulary perfect for undergraduates. ... Read more

Product Description

A frank and vivid modern version of one of the most diverting of all classics. Lindsay's translation captures the genuine flavor, sharp dialogue, outrageous humor, racy delight and subtle style of Apuleius' sophisticated masterpiece.

Customer Reviews (5)

Not What Many Expect
The thing that really shocked me about this book was how easy it is to relate to.It was funny, even hilarious at times, interesting, and incredibly worthwhile.It provides great entertainment while providing insight into the beliefs of the Isis mystery cult, views from the outside of early Christians, and other historically relevant tidbits.I've recommended it to many of my friends, but so far none of them have read it.I think they believe it to be more like other classics they may have read.

Golden Ass
This centuries old story is topical even today.The copy purchased here was a great transalation in very good condition, and it arrived before the promised delivery date.

Best college required reading
I too had to read this as a course requirement in college.Surprisingly, it was not as dry as I had expected a required text to be.It is very entertaining and a pretty quick read.I would recommend it as a travel companion for a weekender.

Amazing, Timeless
I really loved this book and have recommended it to many (unfortunately none have taken me up on it). I had to read this for my History of Western Civilization class in college.I thought it was going to be boring and dry, but soon found myself consumed by it.It's hilarious, fast-paced, romantic and thought provoking. What impressed me most was that a person of today can easily relate to the way Apuleius thinks and acts.I had always imagined Greeks walking around in togas endlessly philosiphizing in white marble temples, but here we are presented with the how similar our thoughts and daily activities are to how theirs were.It allowed me to see historical figures in a new way.I think that being able to laugh (heartily) at the same jokes is indicative of how alike our minds are to theirs. Again I recommend this to everyone.

Definitely not a pain in the ass...
I read The Golden Ass for a Classic art course I took while at university I loved it! It is fun, entertaining and comical- not your typical dry Roman read. It is a great story and a great look into history.I highly recommend this tale to anyone who not wants to laugh but is interested in an important text from antiquity. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1910. This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Product Description

In the Metamorphoses of Apuleius, also known as The Golden Ass, we have the only Latin novel which survives entire. It is truly enchanting: a delightful romance combining realism and magic.

The hero, Lucius, eager to experience the sensations of a bird, resorts to witchcraft but by an unfortunate pharmaceutical error finds himself transformed into an ass. He knows he can revert to his own body by eating rose-petals, but these prove singularly elusive; and the bulk of the work describes his adventures as an animal. He also retails many stories that he overheard, the most charming being that of Cupid and Psyche (beginning, in true fairy-tale fashion, 'Erant in quadam civitate rex et regina'). Some of the stories are as indecent as they are witty, and two in the ninth book were deemed by Boccaccio worthy of inclusion in the Decameron. At last the goddess Isis takes pity on Lucius. In a surprising denouement, he is restored to human shape and, now spiritually regenerated, is initiated into her mysteries. The author's baroque Latin style nicely matches his fantastic narrative and is guaranteed to hold a reader's attention from beginning to end.

J. Arthur Hanson was at the time of his death in 1985 Giger Professor of Latin at Princeton University. His publications include Roman Theater-Temples.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of Apuleius is in two volumes.

Customer Reviews (2)

Beware
This is a wonderful book. However, the presentation does not alert reader to the fact that this Loeb library edition is a two volume edition and book advertised is only the first volume - need for second voume to have a complete edition is not clear in book description by these sellers.

a prose classic
This early prose work by a North African writer, _The Golden Ass_, is a classic.The protagonist is mistakenly turned into a donkey.Actually, the mind of a man is in the body of a donkey.While he has the body of a donkey, he has retained the mind of a human being.He overhears conversations and witnesses deeds that a human stranger would not be allowed to witness.It's a brutal, funny, and memorable tale, showing human nature very honestly, warts and all.

_The Golden Ass_ was written in Latin, and it may be the only surviving Latin novel of the period.The structure is episodic, as the protagonist gets into one predicament after another (as a donkey), much like Gulliver in Gulliver's Travels, or Odysseus in The Odyssey.I think it clearly influenced early successful novels such as Gulliver's Travels and Don Quixote.

The novel is bawdier than other works which survive from its day.The bawdy, ribald humor sets _The Golden Ass_ apart from other tales, and its place in the History of Literature makes it a classic. ... Read more

Product Description
Lucius Apuleius (c. AD 123-c. AD 180), was a Romanised Berber who is best remembered for his bawdy picaresque Latin novel The Golden Ass, otherwise known as the Metamorphoses. It is the only Latin novel which has survived in its entirety, and is an imaginative, irreverent, and amusing work which relates the ludicrous adventures of one Lucius, who experiments in magic and is accidentally turned into an ass. In this guise he hears and sees many unusual things, until escaping from his predicament in a rather unexpected way. Within this frame story are found multiple digressions, the longest among them being the well-known tale of Cupid and Psyche. Apuleius’ first work, the Apologia (A Discourse on Magic) was written in his own defence after being accused of using magic to gain the attentions (and fortune) of the wealthy widow he married. Other works include On the God of Socrates, Florida, On Plato and his Doctrine, and possibly On the Universe. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:INDEX Achaea, province of, 505 Acheron, 551 Act aeon, 55 Actinm, 309 Adlington, life, viii; English style, viii, ix, xviii; marginal notes, examples of, 412, 444, 492, 511, 51! Adonis, 89, 887 Aedile (clerk of the market), office of, 42 Aegean Sea, 537 Aegina, birthplace of Aristomenes the commercial traveller, 9 Aesculapius, god of medicine, attri- butes, 9 Aetolia, 9; Aristomenes goes to live there, 35 Ajax, madness of, 127 ; judged in- ferior to Ulysses, 535 Alcimus, one of the leaders of the robbers: how he met his end, 161 !'/. Althea, mother of Meleager, 84i Ambrosia, 282 Antipodes, inhabitants of, 17 Ants, help Psyche to perform her seemingly impossible task of sifting the various kinds of grain, 268 ; instruments of tor- ture and death, 381 Anubis, the dog-headed god, 557 Apollo, 541 ; a Greek deity of Ionia, 193 ; oracle at Miletus, 193, 225 ; delivers his oracnlar reply in Latin, 195 ; sings at wedding of Cupid and Psyche, 485 Apollonins, a physician, 403 Apuleius, life, v seq,, xx teq., xxiii; philosophical and reli- gious opinions, vi; works, vi, xx ; Latin style, viii, xv Arabian nard, 63 ; perfumes, 545 Arcadia, birth-place of Mercury, 259 ; kingdom of Phlnens, 499 Areopagus, 485 Arete, wife of Barbaras, beloved by Philesitherus, 426 Argos, worship orf Juno at, 255 Argus, 85 Aria, 546 Arignotus, brother of the sooth- sayer Dlophanes, 71 Arion, rescued from drowning by a dolphin, 293 Aristides, writer of Milesian Tales, vii Aristomenes, a commercial travel- ler, his story, 9 seq,, 49 Asitiius Marcellus, a priest in the College of the Pastophori, 689 Ass, Lucius transformed in... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Horrible Edition
Amazon really screwed up when they lumped all editions/translations of this story together.My rating is for the General Books LLC edition which is absolutely unreadable.It mixes English and Latin and reminds me of computer generated spam.It is totally incoherent.I will never buy another book by this publisher, but I may buy another edition of The Golden Ass someday.

Highly entertaining and...profound?
The only other Roman novel I had read before picking up The Golden Ass was Petronius's novel The Satyricon which I found to be rather dull and slow going. No doubt that is largely due to the fact that we no longer possess The Satyricon in it's entirety, and it is difficult to get any sense of narrative continuity from the fragments we do possess. When I decided to read Apuleius's The Golden Ass, however, I was prepared for another slow, dull read. But I was pleasantly surprised.

This book has a number of qualities which recommend it when considered purely from a literary standpoint. First, the story itself is highly entertaining and is composed of a series of vignettes as the main character, Lucius, after being transformed into an ass, makes his way from one inevitably cruel master to another, and manages to narrowly escape death on a number of occasions. Secondly, Apuleius's tale gives us a glimpse into the wide variety of characters who were resident within the Roman empire at the time Apuleius was writing, as well as their manner of life, which is fascinating. And the last thing that recommends this novel purely as literature is it's humor which nearly every reviewer has drawn attention to.

But this book is more than "just literature" in the usual sense of that word. Ultimately this is a book about religious conversion and I was surprised to find myself as I read comparing it to Augustine's Confessions. I was also surprised by the profundity of the theology expressed in certain passages of the story. For example, at one point in the story Lucius has fallen in with a group of eunuchs who have devoted themselves to the worship of some nameless goddess. In devotion to her the eunuchs engage in all sorts of self-flagellation and work themselves up into a self-induced frenzy which they apparently consider a sign of divine immanence. As Lucius is watching all of this he thinks, "A strange notion, this, that divine immanency, instead of doing men good, enfeebles or disorders their senses" (pg. 190). This struck me as a fairly profound theological statement. It also struck me as very Platonic, and I was happy to have my suspicions about a possible Platonic influence on Apuleius's theology confirmed in Robert Graves's introduction.

I was also struck by the obvious and genuine depth of religious feeling expressed in the book, and which appears especially in Apuleius's description of the revelation of Isis at the end of the book. This description reminded me to some degree of a fragment of a relief that is depicted in Jane Harrison's Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion and which I believe was meant to represent Aphrodite emerging from the sea. I think the same beauty, radiance, and depth of religious feeling suffuses both Apuleius's description of the revelation of Isis and the relief of Aphrodite emerging from the sea. After studying both I do not find it hard to understand why many of the Romantic poets, such as Keats, turned to pagan religion for poetic inspiration. Isis's description of herself in Apuleius's account also reminded me to some degree of Krishna's description of himself in the Bhagavad Gita. So there is a lot in this book, and it is well worth the read!

Because of passages like the ones I quoted above I would recommend this book not only to those looking for a fun or entertaining read, but to anyone who is interested in the history of religion and Greek and Roman religion in particular. And I would recommend it especially to anyone who is under the illusion that pagan religion was nothing but an elaborate set of supersitions lacking in any real theological insight, or genuine sense of religious devotion. This book proves otherwise, and more than anything this work has reawoken an interest in me in studying both Greek and Roman religion and their theologies.

-Brian

My favorite classic
This is easily my favorite Classic work of literature.Unlike many of the other classics, such as the Odyssey, Iliad, Aeneid, and others, this book kept my attention the entire time and I couldn't wait to finish.Robert Graves does a tremendous job of translating it into an easily readable version.

great valentine's gift
book includes the original story of Cupid (Pysche). perfect gift for lovers possessing a sash of intelligence.

An enjoyable and enduring classic
Apuleius' The Golden Ass, or Metamorphoses, is the only Latin novel to survive in its entirety.Composed in the second century, this picaresque work tells the tale of Lucius, a man whose curiosity in magic and indulgence of sexual pleasures leads him to accidently transform himself into an ass.What follows are the various trials and hardships he endures as well as the tales he hears throughout his travels.It is not until the intervention of the goddess Isis that Lucius is transformed back into a man, and he devotes the rest of his life to her cult.

Apuleius' storytelling is lively, witty, an often sexually explicit.Indeed, many forms of fetish are showcased within the pages, including beastiality.More often than not, the novel indulges readers in their guilty curiosities while also providing hilarious and adventurous prose, with a splash of red-streaked violence thrown in for good measure.However, despite being written nearly two-thousand years ago, what may shock the modern reader most is how approachable and familiar is not only the humor but also the sentiments and sensuality of these Roman characters.It is not difficult to imagine Lucius' world.

The Golden Ass offers readers a romp through ancient Rome through the eyes of a contemporary while also entertaining.It is also a highly revealing documentation of religion and magical belief in Greco-Roman polytheism, and contains the only complete description of the initiation into a Mystery cult.The true essence of the novel is that it is a fable culminating in the religious transformation of the individual and the embrace of salvation (soteria).However, the pagan salvation was not one of the afterlife, but of this life, and involved changing one's perspective of the world and also of life and death.The ass in the ancient world was seen as the most base of animals, an utter slave to its desires, and Lucius' transformation at the end should be read as symbolizing his overcoming of those passions.

The Golden Ass is bawdy and shocking, but also intelligent and satisfying.Graves' translation is fluid and easy to follow.The prose is as enjoyable (and perhaps rewarding) to read today as it no doubt was nearly two-millennia ago. ... Read more

Product Description
The story of Cupid and Psyche is part of The Golden Ass or Metamorphoses, a Latin novel by Apuleius (second century A.D.).It is both a charming fairytale and an allegory of the search of the Soul for happiness and fulfillment.This edition, the first with a full commentary in English to appear for eighty years, comprises a Latin text with facing translation, making the edition more accessible to students of comparative literature. An introduction and a commentary provide help with interpretation and up-to-date guidance to scholarship in the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Thank you, Mr. Fantastic!
This book came so quickly and was in great condition! I can hardly tell that anyone used it before me. Thank you soooo much, I'm definitely glad I bought my book from you.

What do you expect from a fairy tale?
I read this for a class. The story was short, the long winded analysis long.

great intermediate latin text
This is an outstanding intermediate Latin text.The story is great, it has good notes, and there are exercize sentences in the back.It does not have a running vocabulary, like many of the Bolchazy books do, but of course there is a vocabulary in the back of the book. ... Read more

Product Description
These rhetorical texts by Apuleius, second-century Latin writer and author of the famous novel Metamorphoses or Golden Ass, have not been translated in English since 1909. They are some of the very few Latin speeches surviving from their century, and constitute important evidence for Latin and Roman North African social and intellectual culture in the second century AD. They are the work of a talented writer who is being increasingly viewed as the major literary artist of his time in Latin. The translations are presented with explanatory notes. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Lucius Apuleius
Works of Lucius Apuleius: The Golden Asse (Metamorphoses), Apologia and Florida (mobi)

This is an extremely fun read. It flows beautifully, and will keep you turning the pages. It also is valuable historically because it offers some insight into the lives of the lower classes, which tended to be ignored by Roman historians such as Tacitus or Dio Cassius. ... Read more

Product Description
Apuleius' famous novel, The Metamorphoses, tells the story of a man who was magically changed into an ass, and who had various (humorous, sad, exciting, disturbing, erotic, horrific) adventures before he regained his human form. As well as being genuinely interesting and great fun to read, The Metamorphoses is of great value for the study of narrative technique, literary style, religious practices, contemporary culture in a Roman province and much more. This book contains selections from the novel and is aimed at students moving on to genuine, unsimplified Latin prose after completing an introductory Latin course. It contains a useful introduction, detailed notes providing a lot of help with grammar, expression and translation, a full vocabulary, and passages of appreciation to make the selections come alive as literature and to enhance students' perception and enjoyment of the stories. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Caveat Emptor
Buyer beware! This book only contains selections which may be all right if you are looking for simple language practice, but then again I'd rather choose shorter and easier stories (eg Gesta Romanorum (Latin Edition)) if I found reading a whole book in Latin too hard. If you really want to read the Golden Ass you're better of with the complete edition Metamorphoseon: Asinus Aureus (Latin Edition). Also note that the price for the complete edition is just 15.90, so why bother with selections? ... Read more

Product Description
Relihan uses alliteration and assonance, rhythm and rhyme, the occasional archaism, the rare neologism, and devices of punctuation and typography, to create a sparkling, luxurious, and readable translation that reproduces something of the linguistic and comic effects of the original Latin.The general Introduction is a masterpiece of clarity, orienting the reader in matters of authorship, narration, genre, religion, structure and style.A generous and browsable index, select bibliography, and maps are included. ... Read more

Product Description
Curiosity is an evil master. A beautiful princess has a husband she can never see. He visits her only in the dead of night. When curiosity overcomes her, she discovers who he really is, only to be cruelly abandoned. Now Psyche must begin an impossible task: to find her husband, even descending to the depths of Hell in her search. But she has earned the wrath of Venus by rivalling her in beauty, and the vengeful goddess will stop at nothing to destroy her. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Beautiful Love Story! Great read!
Cupid and Psyche has always been one of my very favorite love stories. This edition is perfect. Small and compact it tells the beautiful story of the love of a mortal and a god. It's precise and eloquently translated and has a gorgeous cover. I actually had to go to the Lourve in Paris to see the statue myself. Absolutely breathtaking!! 5 stars!

Cupid and Psyche
Faithfully translated, wonderfully written, and with a pretty cover. I'm inlove with these two's love story! ... Read more

Product Description
The Golden Ass is a classic book filled with adventure, suspense, and humor. The story follows the misadventures of Lucius, an innovative young nobleman who travels to the Greek town of Hypata, well known for its witches.He is changed into a donkey and is constantly frustrated in his attempt to procure the remedy to his assness. ... Read more

Product Description
No descriptive material is available for this title. ... Read more