Magic in Apuleius' ›Apologia‹ : Understanding the charges and the forensic strategies in Apuleius' speech / Leonardo Costantini.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Costantini, Leonardo, author.

Series:

Beiträge zur Altertumskunde ; 373.

Beiträge zur Altertumskunde ; 373

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

ancient magic.

Apologia.

Apuleius.

Magie.

Local Subjects:

ancient magic.

Apologia.

Apuleius.

Magie.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Dictionaries.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (301 pages).

Place of Publication:

De Gruyter.

Berlin ; Boston : De Gruyter, [2019]

Language Note:

In English.

System Details:

text file PDF

Summary:

Despite the growing interest in Apuleius' Apologia or Pro se de magia, a speech he delivered in AD 158/159 to defend himself against the charge of being a magus, the only comprehensive study on this speech and magic to date is that by Adam Abt (1908). The aim of this volume is to shed new light on the extent to which Apuleius' speech reveals his own knowledge of magic, and on the implications of the dangerous allegations brought against Apuleius. By analysing the Apologia sequentially, the author does not only reassess Abt's analysis but proposes a new reconstruction of the prosecution's case, arguing that it is heavily distorted by Apuleius. Since ancient magic is the main topic of this speech, an extensive discussion of the topic is provided, offering a new semantic taxonomy of magus and its cognates. Finally, this volume also explores Apuleius' forensic techniques and the Platonic ideology underpinning his speech. It is proposed that a Platonising reasoning - distinguishing between higher and lower concepts - lies at the core of Apuleius' rhetorical strategy, and that Apuleius aims to charm the judge, the audience and, ultimately, his readers with the irresistible power of his arguments.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Acknowledgements

Contents

List of Abbreviations

1. Introduction

2. Magic in the Apologia: A Matter of Terminology and Meaning

3. Apuleius the Lustful Magus

4. The Core of the Defence-Speech

5. Love, Sea Creatures, and Literary Magic

6. Sea Creatures for the Seduction of Pudentilla

7. The Noxiousness of Apuleius' Spells

8. The Pollution of Pontianus' Lares

9. Occult Nocturnal Activities

10. Apuleius the Necromancer

11. The Allegations Concerning the Seduction of and Wedding with Pudentilla

12. Conclusion

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Jan 2019).

ISBN:

9783110617528

3110617528

9783110616675

311061667X

OCLC:

1083622316

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.