The Golden Ass by Apuleius

A Portrait Of The Roman Empire

The Golden Ass, written by Apuleius in the second century A.D., is a primary source that provides historians with an honest view of culture for the Roman Empire. The Golden Ass shows a first hand account of political, social, and religious realities that took place during the second century. Almost every aspect of Roman society is portrayed through this writing.
The Golden Ass illiterates the strong pagan beliefs of the Romans. In almost every chapter the different gods, which the Roman’s believed in from Greek history, play a major role in the plot. There are three chapters in the book dedicated to Cupid the god of love, Venus the goddess of beauty, and Psyche the lover of Cupid. His tale of Cupid and Psyche reflects lines from Plato’s Phaedo and Republic. (Apuleius, xix). Plato was one of the greatest Greek philosophers who influenced the lives of many Romans. Many Romans believed in the Greek gods and played a major role in their ev...