Sexual Violence in Apuleius' The Golden Ass

The Golden Ass is not meant to be an accurate portrayal of Roman society in Apuleius' time, yet it reveals many things about the Roman way of life and way of thinking. Though we can't take the fantastical elements of the story seriously, the things that Apuleius treats as everyday occurrences most likely were everyday occurrences. For instance, there is a high level of sexuality among the characters in the book. Sex is not treated …

…us that women can be violent, and men are not always able to defeat them. If you are a Roman, be faithful to your lover, it may mean your life. Works cited: Apuleius. The Golden Ass. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002. "Apuleius: Metamorphosen oder der Goldene Esel" Ringvorlesung der Universität Kiel. 24 March 2004 <http://www.literaturwissenschaft-online.uni-kiel.de/veranstaltungen/ringvorlesungen/romane_antike_19jh/Apuleius_Metamorphosen.pdf> Hofmann, Heinz. Der Goldene Esel des Apuleius. Trier 1993.