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Rh 216 A P U A P U Lucius of Patrse, a work extant in the time of Photius. From Photius s account (impugned however by Wieland and P. L. Courier), this book would seem to have consisted of a collection of marvellous stories, related in an inartistic fashion, and in perfect good faith. The literary capabilities of this particular narrative attracted the attention of Apuleius s contemporary, Lucian, who proceeded to work it up in his own manner, adhering, as Photius seems to indicate, very closely to the original, but giving it a comic and satiric turn. Apuleius followed this rifacimento, making it, however, the groundwork of an elaborate romance, interspersed with numerous episodes, of which the beautiful story of Cupid and Psyche is the most cele brated, and altering the denouement to suit the religious revival of which he was an apostle. There is no reason to conclude with Warburton, that he wrote in direct antagonism to Christianity ; or with Thomas Taylor, that &quot; his intention was to show that the man who gives himself to a voluptuous life becomes a beast.&quot; The book is, nevertheless, a remark able illustration of the contemporary reaction against a period of scepticism, of the general appetite for miracle and magic, and of the influx of Oriental and Egyptian ideas into the old theology. It is also composed with a well-marked literary aim, defined by Kretzschmann as the emulation of the Greek sophists, and the transplantation of their tours de force into the Latin language. Nothing, indeed, is more characteristic of Apuleius than his versatility, unless that it be his ostentation and self-confidence in the display of it. The dignified, the ludicrous, the voluptuous, the horrible, succeed each other with bewildering rapidity ; fancy and feeling are everywhere apparent, but not less so affectation, meretricious ornament, and that effort to say everything finely which prevents anything being said well. The Latinity has a strong African colouring, and is crammed with obsolete words, agreeably to the taste of the time. Few books accordingly suffer less by translation. When these defects are mitigated or overlooked, the Golden Ass will be pronounced a most successful Avork, original in treatment though not in invention, invaluable as an illustra tion of ancient manners, and full of entertainment from beginning to end. The most famous and poetically beauti ful portion is the episode of Cupid and Psyche, adapted from a popular legend of which traces are found in most fairy mythologies, which explains the seeming incongruity of its being placed in the mouth of an old hag. A.S observed by Friedliinder, this discriminating recognition of the beauty of a .wild flower of folk lore is as much to the credit of Apuleius s taste and feeling as the invention of it could have been to his imagination. The allegorical purport he has infused into it is his own, and entirely in the spirit of the Platonic philosophy. Don Quixote s adventure with the wineskins, and Gil Bias s captivity among the robbers, are palpably borrowed from Apuleius; and several of his humorous episodes, probably current as popular stories long before his time, reappear in Boccaccio. Of Apuleius s other writings, the Apology has been already mentioned. The Florida are a collection of excerpts from his declamations, ingenious but highly affected, and in general perfect examples of the sophistical art of saying nothing with emphasis. The pleasing little tract On the God of Socrates expounds the Platonic doctrine of beneficent daemons. Two books on Plato treat of his life, and his physical and ethical philosophy; a third, treating of logic, is generally considered spurious. Apuleius informs us that he had also composed numerous poems in almost all possible styles, and several works on natural history, some in Greek. In the preparation of these he seems to have attended more closely to actual anatomical research than was customary with ancient naturalists. . The character of Apuleius, as delineated by himself, is attractive ; he appears vehement and passionate, but devoid of rancour ; enterprising, munificent, genial, and an enthu siast for the beautiful and good. His vanity and love of display are conspicuous, but are extenuated by a genuine thirst for knowledge, and a surprising versatility of attain ments. His place in letters is accidentally more important than his genius strictly entitles him to hold. He is the only extant example in Latin literature of an accomplished sophist in the good sense of the term. The loss of other ancient romances has secured him a peculiar influence on. modern fiction ; while his chronological position in a transi tional period renders him at once the evening star of the Platonic, and the morning star of the Neoplatonic philosophy. The most complete edition of Apuleius is Oudendorp s (Lugd. Bat. 1786-1823) ; the best modern edition is Hildebrand s (Leipsic, 1842). The translations and imitations of the Golden Ass in modern languages are innumerable. The episode of Psyche has afforded the subject of a drama to Thomas Heywood, and of narrative poems to Shakerley Marmion, and Mrs Tighe. There are good English ver sions by Sir G. Head, and in Bohn s Classical Library. The style oi Apuleius has been thoroughly investigated by L. Kretzschmann, Da Latinitatc L. Apulci Madaurcnsis (Kegimonti, 1865). (R. G.) APULIA, the name applied to a district of southern Italy, the limits of which were not very definitely or per manently marked. It is usually regarded as having been bounded by the country of the Frentani on the N&quot;., Sam- nium on the W., Calabria and Lucania on the S., and the Adriatic on the E. The northern portion comprised the district sloping eastward from the Apennines, but did not take in any part of the mountains themselves ; while the southern portion was occupied by a rocky off-shoot of the main chain, which left only a narrow but fertile strip of land along the sea. On the northern part of the coast was the remarkable mountain-mass of Garganus, forming an enormous promontory. Apulia was watered by the Tifernus (Biferno), the Frento (Fortore), the Cerbalus (Cervaro), the Aufidus (Ofanto), and a number of inter mittent mountain streams. The soil for the most part was calcareous and arid, but in winter afforded abundant pastur age for the sheep, that in ancient times as now were driven during the summer to the neighbouring highlands of Samnium. Of the mingled population of Apulia, the Apulians proper (of Oscan race, it is supposed), the Daunians (perhaps of Pelasgian origin), and the Peucetians or Poecliculi (likewise Pelasgian), seem tohavebeen the principal elements. The prevalent language, according to Mommsen s investiga tions, was distinct from the Oscan and related to the Greek. Direct Greek influence probably emanating from Taren- tum is evident in the workmanship and inscriptions of the coins and vases and other remains which have been discovered throughout the region. The more important towns were Larinum (?), Teanum, Luceria, Arpi, Salapia, Sipontum, Canusium, Barium, Egnatia, and Venusia. Reduced under Roman dominion in the 4th century B.C. % Apulia for the most part continued true to the Roman cause till the time of the second Punic war, when it was greatly distracted and suffered grievously from the hostile opera tions of both the belligerents. It belonged to the second region of Augustus, and from the reign of Constantino was governed along with Calabria by a &quot; Corrector.&quot; For several centuries after 476 it was alternately under the power of the Lombards, the Goths, the Saracens, and the emperors of the East; and about the 10th century was regularly governed by the last by means of a &quot; catapan&quot; or deputy, who has left the designation of his office, Cata- panata, in the modern corruption Capitanata, applied to the northern portion of the present Apulia. It was con quered by the Normans under William Bras-de-Fer, who took the title of Comes Apulice in 1042, was raised alor.g with Calabria to a dukedom by Robert Guiscard in 1057, and in 1 1 27 was united to the Sicilian monarchy. The narno