Magic in Apuleius’ Apologia: Understanding the Charges and the Forensic Strategies in Apuleius’ Speech (Beiträge Zur Altertumskunde) (Beiträge zur Altertumskunde, 373)

Despite the growing interest in Apuleius’ Apologia or Pro se de magia, a speech he delivered in AD 158/159 to defend himself against the charge of being a magus, the only comprehensive study on this speech and magic to date is that by Adam Abt (1908). The aim of this volume is to shed new light on the extent to which Apuleius’ speech reveals his own knowledge of magic, and on the implications of the dangerous allegations brought against Apuleius. By analysing the Apologia sequentially, the author does not only reassess Abt’s analysis but proposes a new reconstruction of the prosecution’s case, arguing that it is heavily distorted by Apuleius. Since ancient magic is the main topic of this speech, an extensive discussion of the topic is provided, offering a new semantic taxonomy of magus and its cognates. Finally, this volume also explores Apuleius’ forensic techniques and the Platonic ideology underpinning his speech. It is proposed that a Platonising reasoning – distinguishing between higher and lower concepts – lies at the core of Apuleius’ rhetorical strategy, and that Apuleius aims to charm the judge, the audience and, ultimately, his readers with the irresistible power of his arguments. Acknowledgements 5 Contents 7 List of Abbreviations 11 1. Introduction 13 2. Magic in the Apologia: A Matter of Terminology and Meaning 32 3. Apuleius the Lustful Magus 55 4. The Core of the Defence-Speech 72 5. Love, Sea Creatures, and Literary Magic 94 6. Sea Creatures for the Seduction of Pudentilla 118 7. The Noxiousness of Apuleius’ Spells 147 8. The Pollution of Pontianus’ Lares 173 9. Occult Nocturnal Activities 194 10. Apuleius the Necromancer 209 11. The Allegations Concerning the Seduction of and Wedding with Pudentilla 238 12. Conclusion 266 Bibliography 272 Index 297 This book focuses on the Apologia, a speech delivered by the Latin rhetorician Apuleius of Madauros in AD 158/159 to defend himself against the charge of being a magician. The aim of this study is to throw light on various features of the Apologia: the extent to which Apuleius speech reveals his knowledge of magic the implications of the allegations brought against Apuleius and his rhetorical strategy, interspersed with Platonic philosophy.