The Metamorphosis, or Golden Ass, and Philosophical Works, of Apuleius
London: Robert Triphook and Thomas Rodd, 1822. First Edition Thus. First Thomas Taylor translation. Octavo, xxiv, 400 pages, rebound in red buckram with gilt-lettered spine label and new endpapers. This copy is without the final “Passages Suppressed” leaves, if called for. Thomas Taylor’s 1822 translation of The Metamorphosis; or, Golden Ass, and Philosophical Works, of Apuleius is an important English edition of Apuleius’s celebrated ancient Roman novel, better known as The Golden Ass, here presented together with his philosophical writings. A landmark of classical literature, mythology, and ancient fiction, the novel follows Lucius, whose curiosity about magic and witchcraft leads to his transformation into an ass and to a series of comic, erotic, supernatural, and religious adventures, culminating in his initiation into the mysteries of Isis. The work is especially famous for the embedded tale of Cupid and Psyche, one of the most influential mythological narratives from antiquity. This edition is particularly appealing to collectors of Thomas Taylor, Greek and Roman classics, Platonic and Neoplatonic philosophy, ancient religion, occult literature, esotericism, pagan mythology, demonology, magic, mystery cults, and early nineteenth-century English translations of classical texts. Some slight rubbing and wear, one page with a small closed tear, minor discoloration, else in very good condition. Item #339
Price: $250.00