Apuleius Apuleius

With accuracy, wit, and intelligence, this remarkable new translation of The Golden Ass breathes new life into Apuleius's classic work. Sarah Ruden, a lyric poet as well as a highly respected translator, skillfully duplicates the verbal high jinks of Apuleius's ever-popular novel. It tells the story of Lucius, a curious and silly young man, who is turned into a donkey when he meddles with witchcraft. Doomed to wander from region to region and mistreated by a series of deplorable owners, Lucius at last is restored to human form with the help of the goddess Isis. The Golden Ass, the first Latin novel to survive in its entirety, is related to the Second Sophistic, a movement of learned and inventive literature. In a translation that is both the most faithful and the most entertaining to date, Ruden reveals to modern readers the vivid, farcical ingenuity of Apuleius's style.

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.

An enchanting story that has inspired generations of writers, including Boccaccio, Shakespeare, Cervantes and Keats 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 initiates Lucius into her cult. It has long been disputed whether Apuleius meant this last-minute conversion seriously or as a final comic surprise and the challenge of interpretation continues to keep readers fascinated. 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 The Golden Ass remains the most continuously and accessibly amusing book to have survived from Classical antiquity.

Comincia come ogni favola il racconto di Amore e Psiche, con un re e una regina e le loro tre figlie, tutte bellissime. Ma la grazia e lo splendore della più piccola, Psiche, sono talmente grandi da attirare le invidie di Venere: la dea della bellezza, per vendicarsi, decide di ricorrere all’aiuto di suo figlio Amore, a cui chiede di colpire Psiche con una delle sue infallibili frecce e di farla innamorare dell’ultimo degli uomini, il più vile e miserabile. Amore accetta, ma quando vede Psiche rimane così incantato dalla sua bellezza da distrarsi e pungersi con la freccia destinata alla ragazza, innamorandosi perdutamente di lei e portandola a vivere nel suo meraviglioso palazzo. A una condizione, però: che la sua amata rinunci a vederlo in viso. Ma una notte, istigata dalle sorelle invidiose, la ragazza cede alla curiosità e viola il patto. Paga duramente la colpa della disobbedienza ai precetti divini, ma infine, superate tutte le prove cui è sottoposta, viene accolta fra gli dèi e diviene immortale. La favola di Amore e Psiche è il racconto dell’Anima che dopo errori, sofferenze ed espiazioni, ritrova la piena felicità immortale; la storia senza tempo dell’amore fra gli dèi e gli uomini; la favola della curiosità e dell’invidia, dell’umano che travalica i limiti della propria mortalità, segnando un passaggio di confine inimmaginabile.

Lucio Apuleio inserisce la favola di Amore e Psiche nel centro del suo romanzo Metamorfosi o L'asino d'oro (libri IV, 28-VI, 24). L'asino Lucio, il protagonista, astretto nella caverna dei briganti, ascolta la voce di una vecchia donna che favoleggia a una fanciulla prigioniera.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Als die Göttin Venus von der überirdischen Schönheit der Königstochter Psyche erfährt, schickt sie ihren Sohn Amor auf die Erde. Er soll die unliebsame Konkurrentin mit einem schrecklichen Dämon verheiraten. Doch auch Amor erliegt Psyches Schönheit und statt die Wünsche seiner Mutter zu erfüllen, lässt er die Geliebte heimlich in ein abgelegenes Schloss bringen. Dort besucht er sie Nacht für Nacht – bis Venus den Betrug ihres Sohnes entdeckt und die Liebe der beiden auf eine harte Probe stellt. In der Lesung von Helene Grass entfaltet sich der ganze Zauber dieses weltbekannten Märchens, dessen Einfluss auf Kunst und Literatur kaum hätte größer sein können. (von Der Audio Verlag)