Apuleius should not be confused with Lucius Appuleius Saturninus, a Roman demagogue or with Pseudo-Apuleius, an author.

Lucius Apuleius (c. A.D. 123/5 - c. A.D. 180), an utterly Romanized Berber who described himself as "half-Numidian half-Gaetulian", is remembered most for his bawdy picaresque Latin novel the Metamorphoses, otherwise known as The Golden Ass or, in Latin, the Aureus Asinus (where the Latin word aureus - golden - connoted an element of blessed luckiness).

He was born in Madaurus (now Mdaourouch, Algeria), a Roman colony in Numidia on the North African coast, bordering Gaetulia; this is the same colonia where Saint Augustine later received part of his early education, and, though located well away from the Romanized coast, is today the site of some pristine Roman ruins. Details regarding his life come mostly from his defense speech (see below) and a work entitled "Florida," which consists of snippets taken from some of his best speeches. There is also a desire on the part of many to take details from his seemingly autobiographical novel and apply them to Apuleius, but this is not a reliable source -- most notably, the novel is misused as evidence that Apuleius was a worshiper of Isis, though there is good reason to think that this was not the case. (Another dubious conclusion is that "Lucius," the first name of the main character of the novel, was also the first name of Apuleius – wishful thinking for which there is no concrete evidence.)

Apuleius inherited a substantial fortune from his father, a provincial magistrate. Apuleius studied with a master at Carthage and later at Athens, where he studied Platonic philosophy among other subjects. He subsequently went to Rome to study Latin oratory and, most likely, to declaim in the law courts for a time before returning to his native North Africa. He also travelled extensively in Asia Minor and Egypt, studying philosophy and religion, burning up his inheritance while doing so.

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Ever feel like Apuleius, after he's transformed into an ass?
jamesschumann (James Schumann) Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:46:39 -0000
Ever feel like Apuleius, after he's transformed into an ass?
@wipoolplayer Familiarity breeds contempt, while rarity wins admiration. Apuleius (124 AD - 170 AD #quote
quoteshash (John Shin) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:27:09 -0000
@wipoolplayer Familiarity breeds contempt, while rarity wins admiration. Apuleius (124 AD - 170 AD #quote
He is the better equipped for life. As for swimming, who has the less to carry. -Apuleius #quote
FGatorsFootball (Gators Football) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:44:33 -0000
He is the better equipped for life. As for swimming, who has the less to carry. -Apuleius #quote
trying to figure out the relationship between Homer, Sophocles, Herodotus, Plato, Aristotle, Plautus, Vergil, Livy, and Apuleius.
jiffer (jenjen) Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:57:14 -0000
trying to figure out the relationship between Homer, Sophocles, Herodotus, Plato, Aristotle, Plautus, Vergil, Livy, and Apuleius.

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