Lucius ApuleiusApuleius was a Numidian Latin prose writer, Platonist philosopher, and rhetorician. He was born in the Roman province of Numidia, in the Berber city of Madauros, which is now known as M'Daourouch in Algeria. He studied Platonism in Athens, traveled t Italy, Asia Minor, and Egypt, and was initiated into various cults and mysteries. The most well-known occurrence in his life occurred when he was accused of utilizing magic to attract the attention (and fortune) of a wealthy widow. He declaimed and then presented his own defense to the proconsul and a magistrates' court in Sabratha, near Oea (modern Tripoli, Libya). This is known as an apologia. His most renowned work is the raunchy picaresque novel Metamorphoses, sometimes known as The Golden Ass. It is the only Latin novel that has survived intact. It follows the experiences of its main character, Lucius, who plays with magic and is unintentionally transformed into a donkey. Lucius travels on several adventures until being transformed back into a human person by the goddess Isis. Read More Read Less