Moons, Smoke, and Mirrors in Apuleius' Portrayal of Isis

American Journal of Philology 132 (2):301-322 (2011)
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Abstract

This article supports a satirical reading of Book 11 of the Golden Ass by showing a previously unrecognized way in which Apuleius undermines Isis and her priests. An analysis of moon and mirror imagery in Apuleius' novel as well as his philosophical and rhetorical works will show how he exploits an inherent difficulty in Isis' lunar symbol and the mirrors used to represent it. The moon-goddess Isis will turn out to be an opportunistic fraud who, like a mirror, reflects light without producing her own.

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10.1353/ajp.2011.0017

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