Magic has been used as a device to explain the inexplicable since the history of mankind. In “The Golden Ass” by Apuleius, magic plays a prominent role in the everyday lives of the characters. The theme of the book is the practice of magic and witchcraft.
Passage 9 from the first book talks about how the witch Meroe, who like the several witches we have talked about in class practices erotic magic. She transforms a lover of hers into a beaver because he made love to another woman and a nearby innkeeper into a frog for competing for custom. She changed another man into a ram because he was a barrister who tried to prosecute her and cursed a pregnant wife of a lover of hers with an indefinite pregnancy, sealing her womb and postponing the birth. Her transforming her lover into a beaver as revenge reminded me of Medea when Jason later left her when King Creon of Corinth offered him his daughter, Glauce (or Creusa) and Medea obtained revenge on her husband for this betrayal by sending Glauce a dress and golden coronet covered in poison. This part is also similar to when Circe changes Odysseus's sailors into pigs and keeps them in cages. Like the sisters Circe and Medea, Meroe also uses her magical powers for only to benefit her own agenda without caring how it might affect others. They abuse their powers without the fear of any consequences. Apuleius uses this stereotypical witch in the story of Socrates so early on in the book to familiarize the readers with the concept and idea of typical witches in reference to the setting of the novel and to show the predominance of women in magic. Meroe symbolizes power and the main idea of magic that is used negatively in The Golden Ass. This passage is placed in the starting of the book to let readers know that magic is problematic and dangerous and to an extent even outlandish. It also seems fitting that Apuleius writes of Meroe to show the evils of the world that the book is set in. This little story foreshadows murderous stepmothers, lustful wives, seductive witches, mysterious old men and all types of stupid people.
Passage 16 from book three talks about Pamphile, the wife of Milo was passionately obsessed with a young and handsome man, Boeotian. She wanted to do everything in her power to win him over. This scene reminded me of the witches Canidia, Sagana, Veia and Folia and their quest for love. These witches were shown as having a masculine sex drive and using erotic magic and seductiveness to ensnare hapless men. I see a resemblance between Hecate and Pamphile as they are both depicted as being enveloped in magical drugs and potions and between Pamphile and Delia as Delia is also a conniving character who uses attraction curses.
The passage serves an important purpose in Apuleius’ attempt of covering various themes of magic in The Golden Ass. It discusses the theme of over sexual women in magic, treatment of women in society in olden times and the use of voodoo dolls and other curses. Apuleius tries to bring out the nature of Pamphile (and other witches in general) through this paragraph. She is willing to curse and make somewhat of a voodoo doll for Boeotian even though she is obsessed with him and knows that this may harm him. She is also seen reprimanding the sun for not going down early so that she could practice her magic. This is like the magical helpers that magicians made use of and dominated while writing curse tablets so that their desires would be fulfilled. Later Pamphile ordered Photis to collect Boeotian’s hair so that she could make a cursed voodoo doll and use attraction spells to attract him to her. When Photis tries to collect the hair and is caught by the barber, his reaction towards her describes the treatment meted out to women related to magic. He calls her a “brazen hussy” and thrusts his hands between her breasts to grab the hair that she had stolen. Just like other women in the society, Photis is not given any respect. With the exception of Isis and to an extent Charite, women are not portrayed in a flattering light in the novel. They betray their husbands, lust after their stepsons, murder their families or accidentally turn someone into an ass. They are depicted as vengeful witches using the power of their sexuality to enslave women. Just like Pamphile and Photis from this passage, the women are shown as irrational, insane, libidinous and cruel mothers, wives and citizens. Women are associated with inappropriate forays into magic and are shown as temptresses leading men into evil. Women are never shown outside of the home, and they are praised only in terms of their ability to manage domestic affairs and remain faithful to their husbands. women who display cleverness are assumed to be “of easy virtue” and the way that wit is displayed is to “make a fool of” their husbands. Generally speaking, whenever women take any kind of initiative, their work is depicted as destructive or amoral. In this way, The Golden Ass shows us not only the way that the male-centered society functions, but also a glimpse into, and perhaps a satire of, the philosophy behind it.
Passage 28 from book two describes the decision that the public wants to take regarding the wicked woman they thought had poisoned and murdered the noble man whose corpse Thelyphron decided to guard in Larissa. They accused this woman on the grounds that she killed the noble man ‘to win the favour of her adulterous lover, and to lay hands on the spoil of his inheritance.’ Since this supposed witch swore on all the Gods that she did not commit this pernicious crime, the crowd decided to call upon Zatchlas, a leading Egyptian prophet to give the judgement of the truth to the foresight of the Gods and to bring back the spirit of the dead man for a short time. The assumed deceptive acts of this murderous woman make me think of Nectanebo and his treacherous ways. He used magic as an instrument to trick the Queen to have sex with him. The intention of the woman was to use magic and adultery as a tool to deceive her adulterous lover and gain advantage by taking parts of his inheritance. The negative light thrown on this woman depicts the society’s view of women back in the day as well. This passage also takes me back to the emic and etic view of magic. Before travelling and being transformed into an ass, Lucius is shown as an etic- a mere outsider fascinated by magic. However, through the course of the novel and of Lucius’ journey as an ass, he slowly starts to see things through the emic or insider perspective. One reason why Apuleius could throw this theme in his novel is because of how readers would perceive magic. We are all outsiders to the world of magic, making judgements and trying to make sense of the almost unrealistic things we read of. The emic/etic view makes the book more relatable for the reader. If Zatchlas could call dead spirits, he was certainly a magician himself. Because he was an ‘insider’ he was not condemned but actually revered and called a priest. The part where the prophet Zatchlas calls back the spirit of the dead man brings to mind goddess Isis and how she brought her husband Osiris back to life after he was murdered by his brother Set. Apuleius somewhat views redemption as rebirth which is an underlying theme in The Golden Ass. It is shown in many ways in the book. Psyche’s awakening from the Sleep of the Innermost Darkness- the night of Styx and Lucius’ rebirth as an ass and again as a human and can be viewed as examples. Reincarnation can also be thought of as a changed perspective, just as Lucius’ was when he was transformed back into a human after he was accidentally changed into an ass by Photis. This passage brings out presumably the most important theme of the book- change and metamorphosis. His joining of the cult of Isis is a rebirth of his mind and essentially, his personality. This passage fits into the overall theme of curiosity in the book. Apuleius does not necessarily discourage curiosity, however, curiosity without discernment, wisdom and rationality is shown as dangerous. Theyphron is curious about the corpse and is punished, just like when Aristomenes is when he is curious about Meroe or like Psyche when she is curious about Cupid. This passage serves as Apuleius’ way of informing his readers to know the limitations and boundaries of curiosity before acting.
On the whole, Apuleius’ book does a tremendous job of summarizing and covering the themes of magic and problems plaguing the society like fixation on the supernatural, the lack of government, violence, slavery and gender roles. The story of Lucius is not only an interesting one but it also serves as an account of the history of magic, religion and witchcraft in ancient Greece and Rome.