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Article: Lucius's parents, Theseus and Salvia, in 'The Golden Ass.'
- Article from:
- Papers on Language & Literature
- Article date:
- June 22, 1993
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 Southern Illinois University. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Early on in Apuleius's The Golden Ass before Lucius, the non-hero of the first ten books, has changed into an ass, the reader learns from two ignoble citizens of the witching city of Thessalian Hypata that Lucius's parents' names are Theseus and Salvia.
Milo, a miserly banker, welcoming Lucius to his "humble abode," as he euphemistically speaks of it, hopes Lucius will be content with slender fare and will thus emulate the virtues of his father's namesake, the Attic hero, Theseus, who did not spurn the small hospitality of the old, impoverished, but noble Hecale (1.24).(1)
Later, while strolling through the forum of Hypata, Lucius meets up with a wealthy ...