Apuleius and Petronus

1. Apuleius and Petronus Liam Bitting

2. Apuleius Background • 120-180 AD • Wrote in Prose • Studied Platonist Philosophy in Athens • Accused of using magic to gain the attentions and fortune of a wealthy widow • Most famous works tend to revolve around magic • The Golden Ass • De DeoSocratis (On the God of Socrates)

3. The Golden Ass/ Metamorphoses Summery • Only latin novel to survive in its entirety • About fictional charecterLucius and his curiosity about magic • Tries to turn himself into a bird, turns into an ass • Saved by Isis by joining a cult • Compiled in 11 books

4. The Golden Ass Famous Lines • Opening line • Thessaliam — nam et illicoriginismaternaenostraefundamenta a Plutarchoilloinclito ac moxSextophilosophonepoteeiusproditagloriamnobisfaciunt — eamThessaliam ex negotiopetebam • “Bussiness once took me to Thessaly, where my mother's family origionated; I have, by the way, the distinction of being descended through her from the famous Plutarch” • Translation by Robert Graves

5. De DeoSocratis Summery • Supernatural topics combined with philosophy • Talks about Daemons (Supernatural go betweens of gods and men) • First occurrence of proverb “familiarity breeds contempt” • Compared Gods to Kings • Unlike Epics, the comparison was not implied by godly emotion but more explicitly stated

6. De DeoSocratis Famous Lines • Openning Line • Plato omnemnaturamrerum, quod eius ad animaliapraecipuapertineat, trifariamdivisitcensuitqueessesummosdeos. • Plato gives a triple division to the whole nature of things, and especially to that part of it which pertains to animals; and he likewise is of the opinion that there are gods in the highest, in the middle, and in the lowest place of the universe • paritenimconversatiocontemptum, raritasconciliatadmirationem • familiarity breeds contempt, rarity brings admiration • Attacked by Augistine of Hippo (a Father of the Church in the African Province)

7. Apologia Summery • Courtroom defense against against the accounts of “charming” a wealthy widow • Contains references to magic • Utilizes Ciceronian Styles at times • Shows how versatile Apuleius can be

8. Apologia Text • Certusequidemeramproqueueroobtinebam, Maxime Cl. quique in consilioestis, SiciniumAemilianum, senemnotissimaetemeritatis, accusationemmeipriusapudtecoeptam quam apud se cogitatampenuriacriminumsolisconuiciisimpleturum • For my part, Maximus Claudius, and you, gentlemen who sit beside him on the bench, I regarded it as a foregone conclusion that SiciniusAemilianus would for sheer lack of any real ground for accusation cram his indictment with mere vulgar abuse; for the old rascal is notorious for his unscrupulous audacity, and, further, launched forth on his task of bringing me to trial in your court before he had given a thought to the line his prosecution should pursue.

9. Petronius • 27-66 AD • Called “elegantiaearbiter” (Judge of Excellence) by Tacitus, Plutarch, and Pliny the Elder • Served as Counsil in 62 AD • Nero’s Fashion advisor • Famous Works • Satyricon

10. SatyriconSummery • Combined Prose and Poety • Story of a Homosexual Couple Encolpius (narrator) and Giton (the love interest) • Satirical saterizing the difficulty of making relationships work • Has difficulty keeping his lover faithful • Has difficulty not being enticed away by others • Gives insight into the daily lives of lower class Romans

11. Satyricon Famous lines • Per anfractusdeindeobscurissimosegressus in hunc locum me perduxit, prolatoquepeculiscoepitrogarestuprum • Then after traversing some very dark and intricate alleys, he brought me where we are, and producing his affair, began begging me to grant him my favors • This summerizes their entire relationship

12. Biblography • http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/petronius1.html • http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/petro/satyr/sat02.htm • Wikipedia.org • http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/apuleius/apuleius1.shtml#10 • http://books.google.com/books?id=mBJBNQ3uNKMC&pg=PA3&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false • http://apuleius.net