The
Golden Ass
or
The Metamorphosis
by Apuleius
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The
ancients had novels
(who knew?!), and this is one of them. And, believe it or not, it's
a fun read, lighthearted, funny, and well written. The story moves.
For the boys: it even has explicit sex. Amazing.
Who knew?!
The story is about
Lucius' adventures after he gets turned into
a donkey. The first ten chapters are just fun, not related
to the Pagan origins.
Chapter eleven is
about Lucius in Egypt, and his study and initiation into the mysteries
of Isis and Osiris (he's a man again by this point). For the ancients
these mysteries were sacred secrets -- believers would die rather than
reveal them. Apuleius' novel is the only surviving text
that comes close to describing the mystery initiation
ceremony. Apuleius also says initiation brought salvation:
"The keys of hell and the guarantee of salvation were
in the hands of the goddess, and the initiation ceremony
itself a kind of voluntary death and salvation through divine
grace."
And
the good thing is, you don't have to believe me, you can read
it for yourself.
Available at amazon.com
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