The Tale of Cupid and Psyche

Is Cupid and Psyche a romance, a folktale, a Platonic allegory of the nature of the soul, a Jungian tale of individuation, or an archetypal dream? This volume provides Joel Relihan's lively translation of this best known section of Apuleius' Golden Ass, some useful and illustrative parallels, and an engaging discussion of what to make of this classic story.

“Simply beautiful. . . presents background information essential for the overall understanding of the work. The translation is a sweet adventure into the beauty of the work. --Dr. Michael J. Lynch, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff”

"Joel Relihan's playful and exuberant translation of Apuleius' Golden Ass has already won admiration for its ability to give an English-reading audience some sense of what it's like to experience this often astonishing writer in the original Latin. By presenting The Tale of Cupid and Psyche with its narrative frame and by supplementing it with key passages from other writers, he here provides the reader with the materials needed for an informed and complex engagement with this text; his carefully nuanced 'Afterthoughts' enrich that process further. This volume will appeal to anyone with interests in myth, religion, and folklore, and will surely find its place in a wide range of courses."
--James B. Rives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"Relihan's edition, containing his lively translation of Cupid and Psyche, along with succinct and illuminating discussion of its background and reception, is a do-it-yourself kit for appreciating Apuleius' splendid tale in its philosophical and intellectual context."
--Catherine Connors, University of Washington

"Simply beautiful. . . presents background information essential for the overall understanding of the work. The translation is a sweet adventure into the beauty of the work."
--Dr. Michael J. Lynch, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

Joel C. Relihan is Professor of Classics, Wheaton College, Norton, Massachusetts. In addition to Apuleius' The Golden Ass, he has translated Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy for Hackett Publishing Company.

Is Cupid and Psyche a romance, a folktale, a Platonic allegory of the nature of the soul, a Jungian tale of individuation, or an archetypal dream? This volume provides Joel Relihan's lively translation of this best known section of Apuleius' Golden Ass , some useful and illustrative parallels, and an engaging discussion of what to make of this classic story.

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