Research Paper on:
Roman Culture and Apuleius' The Golden Ass

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
not, it seems that it is the literary texts, the truly outrageous stories, which present these scholars with a powerful understanding of the culture of the time. As is the  case with any literature, there are powerful elements within the story that speak of the writers origins, their social experiences, and their social customs in general. Bearing that in mind  the following paper examines "The Golden Ass" by Apuleius, discussing what it tells us of the historical Roman culture in the 2nd century AD. The Golden Ass In  the beginning of the story we have the main character, Lucius, who is traveling on business. This would indicate that the social conditions of the time were such that trade  and the mingling of different cultures was somewhat prevalent and that the regions experienced success from an economic standpoint. This is further illustrated by the character, Milo, with whom Lucius  stays. Milo is considered a very prominent citizen in his city. As with any prominent citizen anywhere, during any time in history, there is the possibility that family life  is not what it is offered up to be. It turns out that Milos wife engages in witchcraft so that she can sneak away and have extramarital affairs. What we  see in this is the fear of witchcraft and the existence of magical faith held by a society. And, it plays a very powerful part throughout the story indicating the  scientific and social fears of the people. We see Lucius curious about Milos wife and he soon seduces Milos maid in order to find more information. This is a  clear indication that men had control over women in a very patriarchal society. This, coupled with Milos wife and her sexual desires, illustrates women in a position under men, but