May, R orcid.org/0000-0001-7278-3524 (Cover date: December 2023) Hellenistic Poetry, Magical Gems and ‘The Sword of Dardanus’ in Apuleius’ Cupid and Psyche. The Classical Quarterly, 73 (2). pp. 845-861. ISSN 0009-8388
Abstract
Apuleius’ tale of Cupid and Psyche is shown to feature detailed knowledge of ancient magic integrated into the plot, especially the magic of the so-called ‘Sword of Dardanus’ spell and of other papyri with Middle Platonic content. A recently published gemstone from Perugia testifies to the wide distribution of the ‘Sword’. Apuleius’ allusion to the erotic spell involves both Cupid and Venus torturing Psyche. Although Venus’ intentions are to prevent the bond between the lovers, her actions inadvertently echo those depicted in the ‘Sword’ and contribute to the couple's eternal union. Ancient magic is therefore shown to be potent and effective, despite Venus’ plans. This is a methodology Apuleius is known to use widely, for example in his obvious allusions to, and adaptations of, Hellenistic poetry in the story. Magic joins poetry and philosophy as a category of texts shown to be playfully integrated into Apuleius’ construction of the plot of Cupid and Psyche.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: | |
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Classical Association. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work. |
Keywords: | ‘Sword of Dardanus’; Apuleius; Cupid and Psyche; erotic epigram; gemstones; Greek Magical Papyri (henceforth PGM); magic |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Humanities (Leeds) > Classics (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 31 Aug 2022 11:21 |
Last Modified: | 29 May 2024 20:11 |
Published Version: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/classical-... |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
Identification Number: | 10.1017/S0009838823000800 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:190396 |
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