CLASSICS 330 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Roman Magistrate, Greco-Roman Mysteries, Oea
24 Apr 2018
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Apuleius was accused of practicing black magic and killing his step son/friend. Apology is basically his defense speech; in this, he is playing with the accusations. This is presented as a real defense speech, though. We will never know if this is a real, accurate copy of his exact words during the trial. We will also never know if it is a real trial. Controversiae = a hypothetical trial (aka a mock trial) This speech creation is used as practice. Within this practice, the situations are often really ridiculous or magic-filled. Apology is not apuleius" only piece of writing. This work proves that apuleius has a vast understanding of what magic is. Metamorphoses: the golden ass . and how it works. Therefore, it does not seem too off that apuleius would really be accused of practicing witchcraft. Apology does not simply mean what it means for us in modern terms.
