1. Introduction to
Classical Mythology
Dr. Michael Broder
University of South Carolina
April 17, 2012

2. William-Adolphe
Bouguereau (1889)

3. Extra Credit Opportunity
• If you attended Dr. Connolly’s lecture on
April 12 and wish to receive extra credit, be
sure to submit your report by the time of the
final exam (Wed, 5/2, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon)
• A 2-page report gets you credit for up to 2
Daily Writes (up to 8 points), depending on
how complete and comprehensive the report
is

4. Daily Write #23: Review
• In Heroides 1, “Penelope to Ulysses,” the
Roman poet Ovid shows Penelope caught
between fear and anger about the long
absence of Odysseus. How does Ovid’s
portrayal of Penelope compare to that of
Homer in the Odyssey? How is Ovid’s
Penelope similar to that of Homer? How is
she different? Why do you think Ovid chose
to portray Penelope the way that he does?

5. Daily Write #23: Review
• How is Ovid’s Penelope similar to that of Homer?
– She continues to wait for Odysseus
– She expresses concern for his welfare
– She mentions many of the actions and events that we recognize from
the Odyssey, like questioning strangers
• How is she different?
– Less sure of Odysseus’ return
– Less sure of his loyalty and love
– Angry about his long absence
• Why do you think Ovid chose to portray Penelope the way that he
does?
– Shows us a more human side of Penelope
– More realistic, more emotionally true
– Dramatizes the woman’s perspective

6. Daily Write #24
• In his poem On the Nature of the Universe, Lucretius calls
Venus “mother” of the Romans and “nourishing
Venus” who “makes the sea and land throng with
life.” In The Tale of Cupid and Psyche, Apuleius calls
Venus “mother of the nature of the universe” and
“nourishing Venus” who “feeds and fosters the whole
of this great globe.” Why do you think Apuleius chose
to describe Venus in language that reminds us of
Lucretius’s poem? Do you think Apuleius’s intentions
towards Lucretius are serious, playful, mocking,
respectful, disrespectful, or something else? Explain
your answer as completely as you can.

7. Nine Muses: Daughters of Zeus and
Mnemosyne (Memory)
• Hellenistic scholars and poets assigned specific areas of creativity
to each of the nine muses:
– Calliope: Epic Poetry
– Clio: History This shows how
– Erato: Lyric poetry, erotic poetry much attention
– Euterpe: Song and Elegiac Poetry ancient poets paid to
– Melpomene: Tragedy GENRE, which has
– Polyhymnia: Hymns been a major focus of
– Terpsichore: Dance our class.
– Thalia: Comedy
– Urania: Astronomy
Thanks to your fellow student, Kelli Kemmerer, for suggesting
we cover the nine muses in class and providing the list above.

8. Tale of Cupid and Psyche:
Identification
• Author =Apuleius
– Roman
– c. 125 – c. 170 CE
• Title = The Tale of Cupid and Psyche
– Excerpt from the Metamorphoses (Golden Ass)
• Genre = Ancient novel

9. Summary of Books 1-4 of Apuleius’s
Metamorphoses (The Golden Ass)
• We meet Lucius, an affluent Roman citizen
who is on a journey to the Greek region of
Thessaly for business
• Lucius goes to the Greek town of Hypata,
where he stays with Milo, a family friend
• Milo has a wife named Pamphile and a
beautiful young slave girl named Photis (her
name means “light”)

10. Echoes of the Odyssey in
The Golden Ass
• Apuleius’ novel often deals with subjects which
do not accord with epic propriety, particularly
the pleasures of the flesh
• The prime example of this in the opening books
is the liaison between Lucius and the maid
Photis
• The two find themselves alone for the first time
in the low-life situation of the kitchen
• Photis is stirring a saucepan and swinging her
behind, which arouses Lucius…
Stephe J. Harrison (1990)

11. Lucius and Photis
Rooted to the spot by her appearance, I stood
astounded and amazed, and the limb dangling
in front of me stood up, too. Finally I said to
her, “How beautiful and pleasing, my dear
Photis, is the motion of your hips when you stir
that pot of meat. What a sweet dish you are
making. Happy and blessed is he whom you
allow to dip his finger in your dish.”
Stephe J. Harrison (1990)

12. Odysseus and Nausicaa
• “If you are one of mortals who dwell upon the
earth, blessed then are your father, mother, and
brothers, whose hearts are warmed with joy
when they see you entering the dance, a flower
so young and fair. But he is blessed above all
others, who shall prevail with his gifts of wooing
and lead you to his home. For never yet have my
eyes looked upon a mortal such as you, whether
man or woman. Amazement holds me as I look
at you.”
Stephe J. Harrison (1990)

13. Apuleius’ version of the meeting of
hero and girl is a parody of Homer
• Homer’s Nausicaa is the model maiden, the virginal
princess, childlike, yet royal in courage and dignity
• Photis is the opposite, a slave of low origins, low activities
and low desires, knowing and cunning, a sexual athlete of
a high order
• Between Odysseus and Nausicaa marriage is mentioned
but never really envisaged, and their encounter has a
distant romanticism
• Between Lucius and Photis the carnal relations follow
immediately and easily
• Apuleius and his readers would no doubt have enjoyed
this contrast between epic and novel
Stephe J. Harrison (1990)

14. Summary of Books 1-4 of Apuleius’s
Metamorphoses (The Golden Ass)
• The day after he arrives in Hypata, Lucius
finds out that Pamphile is witch
• This information fills him with curiosity
• Later that day, Lucius and Photis watch
Pamphile mix a magic potion that she uses to
turn herself into a bird

15. Summary of Books 1-4 of Apuleius’s
Metamorphoses (The Golden Ass)
• Later that night, Lucius sneaks into
Pamphile’s workshop and tries to mix the
same potion, but instead he turns himself into
a donkey
• Photis tells him that the only way for him to
return to his human state is to eat a rose, so
Lucius goes on a quest for the rose that will
return him to human form

16. Summary of Books 1-4 of Apuleius’s
Metamorphoses (The Golden Ass)
• He is then stolen from Milo’s house by thieves
• The thieves then kidnap a young woman,
Charite, who is trapped in a cave with Lucius
(who is still a donkey)
• Charite starts crying about the fact that she is
going to miss her own wedding, so an elderly
woman who is a servant of the thieves tries to
comfort her by telling her the story of Cupid and
Psyche

17. Summary of The Tale of Cupid and
Psyche
• Psyche, the most beautiful woman in the world
is envied by her family as well as by Venus
• An oracle of Venus demands she be sent to a
mountaintop and wed to a murderous beast
• Sent by Venus to destroy her, Cupid falls in love
and flies her away to his castle
• There she is directed to never seek to see the
face of her husband, who visits and makes love
to her in the dark of night

18. Summary of The Tale of Cupid and
Psyche
• Eventually, Psyche wishes to see her sisters,
who jealously demand she seek to discover
the identity of her husband
• That night, Psyche discovers her husband is
Cupid while he is sleeping, but wakes and
scars him with her candle
• Infuriated, he flies to heaven and leaves her
banished from her castle

19. Summary of The Tale of Cupid and
Psyche
• In attempted atonement, Psyche seeks the
temple of Venus and offers herself as a slave
• Venus assigns Psyche four impossible tasks
• First, she is commanded to sort through a great
hill of mixed grains
• In pity, many ants aid her in completing the task
• Next, she is commanded to retrieve wool of the
dangerous golden sheep

20. Summary of The Tale of Cupid and
Psyche
• A river god aids Psyche and tells her to gather
clumps of wool from thorn bushes nearby
• Venus next requests water from a cleft high
beyond mortal reach
• An eagle gathers the water for Psyche
• Next, Psyche is demanded to seek some
beauty from Persephone, Queen of the
Underworld

21. Summary of The Tale of Cupid and
Psyche
• Attempting to kill herself to reach the
underworld, Psyche ascends a great tower and
prepares to throw herself down
• The tower speaks, and teaches Psyche the
way of the underworld
• Psyche retrieves the beauty in a box, and,
hoping to gain the approval of her husband,
opens the box to use a little
• She is put into a coma

22. Summary of The Tale of Cupid and
Psyche
• Cupid rescues her, and begs Zeus that she
may become immortal
• Psyche is granted Ambrosia, and the two are
forever united
• They have a child named Delight (Voluptas
in Latin, also means “pleasure” or
“happiness”)

23. Extra Credit Opportunity
• If you attended Dr. Connolly’s lecture on
April 12 and wish to receive extra credit, be
sure to submit your report by the time of the
final exam (Wed, 5/2, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon)
• A 2-page report gets you credit for up to 2
Daily Writes (up to 8 points), depending on
how complete and comprehensive the report
is

24. Upcoming Assigments
• 4/19—The Tale of Cupid and Psyche, 28-54

25. Introduction to
Classical Mythology
Dr. Michael Broder
University of South Carolina
April 17, 2012