The Protean Ass: The Metamorphoses of Apuleius from Antiquity to the Renaissance (Oxford Classical Monographs)

The Protean Ass provides the most comprehensive account (in any language) of the reception of The Golden Ass (or Metamorphoses ) of Apuleius, the only work of Latin prose fiction worthy of the name of 'novel' to survive intact from the ancient world. Apuleius' second-century account of the curious young man who is changed into a donkey following an affair with a witch's slave-girl, and undergoes a series of adventures (involving robbery, adultery, buggery, and bestiality) before a divine vision transforms him into a disciple of the goddess Isis, has delighted, perplexed, and inspired readers as diverse as St Augustine, Petrarch, Boccaccio, Sidney, Spenser, Shakespeare, and Milton. Robert H. F. Carver traces readers' responses to the novel from the third to the seventeenth centuries in North Africa, Italy, France, Germany, and England Apuleius' Account In The Golden Ass (or Metamorphoses) Of The Curious Young Man Who Is Changed Into A Donkey Following An Affair With A Witch's Slave-girl Continues To Delight And Perplex Readers Even After The Passage Of Eighteen Centuries. Lucius' Asinine Adventures Include Abduction By Bandits, Service To A Troupe Of Debauched Priests, Congress With A Corinthian Lady (the Seed Of Bottom's Erotic Entanglement With Titania In A Midsummer Night's Dream), And The Overhearing Of A Large Number Of Stories (most Famously, 'cupid And Psyche'), Before A Divine Vision Transforms Him Into A Disciple Of The Goddess Isis. The Protean Ass Provides The Most Comprehensive Account (in Any Language) Of The Reception Of This Complex Work, Tracing Readers' Responses From The Third To The Seventeenth Centuries. In The Opening Chapter, Pagan And Patristic Reactions Are Analysed (augustine, Martianus Capella, And Fulgentius), And The Golden Ass Is Tracked Until Its Disappearance In The Sixth Century. Chapter 2 Reappraises The Manuscript Tradition, Exploring The Role Of Monte Cassino (where The Oldest Surviving Copy Of The Work Was Copied In The Eleventh Century) And Combining Recent Codicological Critiques With Medieval Testimonia To Re-examine The Persistent Claims That The Golden Ass Was Known In Twelfth- And Thirteenth-century France And England. Chapter 3 Is Devoted To The Early Humanists (most Significantly, Petrarch And Boccaccio) And The So-called 'pre-humanists' (benzo D'alessandria And Thomas De Waleys). The Middle Chapters Establish Cultural And Ideological Contexts For The Printing Of The Editio Princeps (rome, 1469) And Beroaldo's Commentary (bologna, 1500) And Use The Golden Ass To Stabilize One Of The Most Mercurial Of Renaissance Texts, The Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (venice, 1499), Locating It Within A Complex Network Of Literary Sodalities Linking Rome, Venice, Vienna, And Germany. An Extensive Investigation Into The Northern Reception Of Apuleius (conrad Celtis, Erasmus, More, Vives), And A Detailed Analysis Of William Adlington's English Translation (1566) Lead Into A Survey Of English Renaissance Receptions And A Series Of Case-studies Of Sidney, Spenser, And Shakespeare.-- The Metamorphoses Of Apuleius : From Antiquity To The Early Middle Ages -- Apuleius In The High Middle Ages -- Asinus Redivivus : The Recovery Of The Golden Ass -- The Inky Ass : Apuleius In The Age Of Print (1469-1500) -- The Antiquarian Ass : Apuleius And The Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (1499) -- The Academical Ass : Apuleius And The Northern Renaissance -- The Golden Asse Of William Adlington (1566) -- After Adlington : Apuleius In England (1566-1660) -- The Arcadian Ass : Sir Philip Sidney And Apuleius -- Psyche's Daughter : Pleasure And The Faerie Queene -- Shakespeare's Bottom And Apuleius' Ass. Robert H. F. Carver. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [459]-509) And Indexes. Contents......Page 10 Abbreviations......Page 11 Introduction......Page 18 Note on Texts......Page 27 1. The Metamorphoses of Apuleius: From Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages......Page 28 2. Apuleius in the High Middle Ages......Page 78 3. Asinus Redivivus: The Recovery of The Golden Ass......Page 125 4. The Inky Ass: Apuleius in the Age of Print (1469–1500)......Page 178 5. The Antiquarian Ass: Apuleius and the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (1499)......Page 200 6. The Academical Ass: Apuleius and the Northern Renaissance......Page 253 7. The Golden Asse of William Adlington (1566)......Page 315 8. After Adlington: Apuleius in England (1566–1660)......Page 344 9. The Arcadian Ass: Sir Philip Sidney and Apuleius......Page 382 10. Psyche’s Daughter: Pleasure and The Faerie Queene......Page 401 11. Shakespeare’s Bottom and Apuleius’ Ass......Page 446 Epilogue......Page 463 Appendix......Page 466 Bibliography......Page 476 Index Manuscriptorum......Page 528 Index Locorum......Page 529 Index verborum Apuleianorum......Page 535 A......Page 536 B......Page 540 C......Page 542 D......Page 544 E......Page 545 F......Page 546 G......Page 547 H......Page 548 I......Page 549 L......Page 550 M......Page 551 N......Page 554 P......Page 555 R......Page 557 S......Page 558 T......Page 560 X......Page 561 Z......Page 562 9780199217861 Contents 10 Abbreviations 11 Introduction 18 Note on Texts 27 1. The Metamorphoses of Apuleius: From Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages 28 2. Apuleius in the High Middle Ages 78 3. Asinus Redivivus: The Recovery of The Golden Ass 125 4. The Inky Ass: Apuleius in the Age of Print (1469–1500) 178 5. The Antiquarian Ass: Apuleius and the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (1499) 200 6. The Academical Ass: Apuleius and the Northern Renaissance 253 7. The Golden Asse of William Adlington (1566) 315 8. After Adlington: Apuleius in England (1566–1660) 344 9. The Arcadian Ass: Sir Philip Sidney and Apuleius 382 10. Psyche’s Daughter: Pleasure and The Faerie Queene 401 11. Shakespeare’s Bottom and Apuleius’ Ass 446 Epilogue 463 Appendix 466 Bibliography 476 Index Manuscriptorum 528 Index Locorum 529 Index verborum Apuleianorum 535 Index nominum et rerum 536 A 536 B 540 C 542 D 544 E 545 F 546 G 547 H 548 I 549 J 550 K 550 L 550 M 551 N 554 O 555 P 555 Q 557 R 557 S 558 T 560 U 561 V 561 W 561 X 561 Y 562 Z 562 ## Abstract This book provides a comprehensive account of the reception of The Golden Ass (or Metamorphoses) of Apuleius, the only work of Latin prose fiction worthy of the name of ‘novel’ to survive intact from the ancient world. Apuleius' 2nd-century account of the curious young man who is changed into a donkey following an affair with a witch's slave-girl, and undergoes a series of adventures (involving robbery, adultery, buggery, and bestiality) before a divine vision transforms him into a disciple of the goddess Isis, has delighted, perplexed, and inspired readers as diverse as St Augustine, Petrarch, Boccaccio, Sidney, Spenser, Shakespeare, and Milton. This book traces readers' responses to the novel from the 3rd to the 17th centuries in North Africa, Italy, France, Germany, and England. The middle chapters establish cultural and ideological contexts for the printing of the editio princeps (Rome, 1469) and Beroaldo's Commentary (Bologna, 1500) and use The Golden Ass to stabilize one of the most mercurial of Renaissance texts, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (Venice, 1499), locating it within a complex network of literary sodalities linking Rome, Venice, Vienna, and Germany. An extensive investigation into the Northern reception of Apuleius (Conrad Celtis, Erasmus, More, Vives), and a detailed analysis of William Adlington's English translation (1566) lead into a survey of English Renaissance receptions and a series of case-studies of Sidney, Spenser, and Shakespeare."-- Back cover A full account of the reception of the 2nd-century prose fiction The Golden Ass (or Metamorphoses) of Apuleius, which has intrigued readers as diverse as St Augustine, Petrarch, Boccaccio, Sidney, Spenser, Shakespeare, and Milton. Robert H.F. Carver traces readers' responses to the novel from the 3rd to the 17th centuries