Apuleius: Difference between revisions

| caption = Late antique ceiling painting c. 330, possibly of Apuleius

| death_date = c. 170 – 190

'''Apuleius''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|æ|p|j|ʊ|ˈ|l|iː|ə|s}} {{respell|APP|yuu|LEE|əs}}), also called '''Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis''' (c. 124 – after  170<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/30917/Lucius-Apuleius "Lucius Apuleius"]. ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''.</ref>), was a [[Numidians|Numidian]] [[Latin]]-language prose writer, [[Platonist]] philosopher and rhetorician.<ref name="GTUApo">{{cite web |url=https://faculty.georgetown.edu/jod/apuleius/ |title=Apuleius, Apology |work=George Town University}}</ref> He was born in the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] [[Numidia (Roman province)|province of Numidia]], in the [[Berbers|Berber]] city of [[Madauros]], modern-day [[M'Daourouch]], [[Algeria]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Berbers |quote=... The best known of them were the Roman author Apuleius, the Roman emperor Septimius Severus, and St. Augustine |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia Americana]] |publisher=Scholastic Library Publishing |year=2005 |volume=3 |page=569}}</ref> He studied Platonism in [[Athens]], travelled to [[Roman Italy|Italy]], [[Asia (Roman province)|Asia Minor]], and [[Egypt (Roman province)|Egypt]], and was an initiate in several cults or [[Greco-Roman mysteries|mysteries]]. The most famous incident in his life was when he was accused of using magic to gain the attentions (and fortune) of a wealthy widow. He declaimed and then distributed his own defense before the [[proconsul]] and a court of magistrates convened in [[Sabratha]], near Oea (modern [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]], Libya). This is known as the ''Apologia''.

His most famous work is his [[bawdy]] [[picaresque novel]] the ''Metamorphoses'', otherwise known as ''[[The Golden Ass]]''. It is the only Latin novel that has survived in its entirety. It relates the adventures of its protagonist, Lucius, who experiments with magic and is accidentally turned into a [[donkey]]. Lucius goes through various adventures before he is turned back into a human being by the goddess [[Isis]].<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last1=Roman |first1=Luke |last2=Roman |first2=Monica |name-list-style=amp |year=2010 |title=Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman mythology |page=78 |publisher=Infobase |isbn=9781438126395 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tOgWfjNIxoMC |via=Google Books}}</ref>

Apuleius was born in Madauros, a ''[[Colonia (Roman)|colonia]]'' in [[Numidia (Roman province)|Numidia]] on the [[North Africa]]n coast bordering [[Gaetuli]]a, and he described himself as "[[Berbers|half-Numidian half-Gaetulian]]."<ref name="Apuleius, Apology, 24">Apuleius, ''Apology'', 24</ref> Madaurus was the same ''colonia'' where [[Augustine of Hippo]] later received part of his early education, and, though located well away from the [[Romanization (cultural)|Romanized]] coast, is today the site of some pristine Roman ruins. As to his first name, no ''[[praenomen]]'' is given in any ancient source;{{sfn|Walsh|1999|p=xi}} late-medieval manuscripts began the tradition of calling him ''Lucius'' from the name of the hero of his novel.<ref>{{citation |first=Julia Haig |last=Gaisser |year=2008 |title=The fortunes of Apuleius and the Golden Ass: a study in transmission and Reception |page=69 |publisher=Princeton University Press}} {{isbn|0691131368|9780691131368}}</ref> Details regarding his life come mostly from his defense speech (''[[Apology (Apuleius)|Apology]]'') and his work ''[[Florida (Apuleius)|Florida]]'', which consists of snippets taken from some of his best speeches.

His father was a municipal magistrate (''[[Duumviri|duumvir]]'')<ref name="Apuleius, Apology, 24" /> who bequeathed at his death the sum of nearly two million [[sesterces]] to his two sons.<ref>Apuleius, ''Apology'', 23</ref> Apuleius studied with a master at [[Carthage]] (where he later settled) and later at [[Athens]], where he studied Platonist philosophy among other subjects. He subsequently went to [[Rome]]<ref>Apuleius, ''Florida'', 17.4</ref> to study Latin [[rhetoric]] and, most likely, to speak in the law courts for a time before returning to his native North Africa. He also travelled extensively in Asia Minor and Egypt, studying philosophy and religion, burning up his inheritance while doing so.

Not long after his return home he set out upon a new journey to [[Alexandria]].<ref name="Apuleius, Apology, 72">Apuleius, ''Apology'', 72.</ref> On his way there he was taken ill at the town of [[Oea]] (modern-day [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]]) and was hospitably received into the house of Sicinius Pontianus, with whom he had been friends when he had studied in Athens.<ref name="Apuleius, Apology, 72" /> The mother of Pontianus, Pudentilla, was a very rich widow. With her son's consent&nbsp;– indeed encouragement&nbsp;– Apuleius agreed to marry her.<ref>Apuleius, ''Apology'', 73</ref> Meanwhile, Pontianus himself married the daughter of one Herennius Rufinus; he, indignant that Pudentilla's wealth should pass out of the family, instigated his son-in-law, together with a younger brother, Sicinius Pudens, a mere boy, and their paternal uncle, Sicinius Aemilianus, to join him in impeaching Apuleius upon the charge that he had gained the affections of Pudentilla by charms and magic spells.<ref>Apuleius, ''Apology'', 53, 66, 70, etc</ref> The case was heard at [[Sabratha]], near Tripoli, c.&nbsp;158&nbsp;AD, before [[Claudius Maximus]], [[proconsul]] of [[Africa (Roman province)|Africa]].<ref>Apuleius, ''Apology'', 1, 59, 65</ref> The accusation itself seems to have been ridiculous, and the spirited and triumphant defence spoken by Apuleius is still extant. This is known as the ''Apologia (A Discourse on Magic)''.<ref name="GTUApo" />

 

Apuleius accused an extravagant personal enemy of turning his house into a brothel and prostituting his wife.<ref>Apuleius, ''Apology'', 75–76</ref>{{sfn|Flemming|1999|p=41}}

* [https://archive.org/details/luciusapuleius Free public domain audiobook version of ''Apuleius on the Doctrines of Plato] translated by George Burges