Astrology And Women In The Golden Ass By Apuleius

I will be covering the various ways that magic, astrology and women play a significant role in ancient Roman culture using the novel, The Golden Ass to further develop my thesis. In the ancient Roman novel by Apuleius, is compiled of eleven short stories, each playing a significant role for Lucius own tale, as well as affecting both positively and negatively his journey. By covering such topics as magic, astrology and women I will be looking at the various ways that The Golden Ass depicts these attributes and how the novel significantly plays off these various components of Roman culture. Historically, magic has been used as a device to attempt to explain the unknown. In The Golden Ass magic plays a prominent role in the lives of all the citizens. Yet an especially interesting comparison arises with the connection of women and magic. Although magic is used to explain the unknown, additionally there a certain feminine connection with magic as well. Historically in ancient Rome a large connection is concluded by way of men trying to “explain” the ways in which women affect their behaviors, typically negatively. This serves as a means to place blame on women for their own actions, …show more content…
All the women who participate in magic they are attractive, sexual and powerful. This further reiterates the point of the “feminine power”, and further detaching men for fault, as the women are too powerful in their seduction and magic.This in effect is punishing women for beauty and their sexual desire upon man, it is quite literally demonizing women, as often the depiction of magic arises leading to infidelity and justifying it through the lack of control a man has over the feminine power of these witches. Yet not all depictions of women are negative, such as Isis and what she truly represents in the tale and what she would have represented for ancient