Apuleius

Apuleius was born around 124 CE in Madaurus, a Roman colony in North Africa. Educated in Carthage and Athens, he became a noted orator and Platonic philosopher. His most famous work, 'The Golden Ass' (also known as 'Metamorphoses'), is a picaresque novel recounting the misadventures of a man turned into a donkey. The book is celebrated for its comic narrative, its embedded tale of Cupid and Psyche, and its exploration of magic and religious transformation. Apuleius also wrote philosophical treatises, speeches, and a defense of himself against charges of sorcery. His influence extends through the Renaissance and into modern literature, marking him as a key figure in the development of the Western novel.