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The Golden Ass · Chapter

Book IX explained

Lucius, still in ass form, endures a series of misadventures as he is passed from owner to owner, witnessing tales of adultery, murder, and deception, including the story of a baker's wife and the tragic fate of a man named Socrates, before

What happens

Lucius, still in ass form, endures a series of misadventures as he is passed from owner to owner, witnessing tales of adultery, murder, and deception, including the story of a baker's wife and the tragic fate of a man named Socrates, before finally being sold to a gardener.

Themes in this chapter

  • Deception and Appearance

    The baker's wife and other characters engage in elaborate deceptions, hiding their true natures behind masks of virtue.

  • Fortune and Suffering

    Lucius's continued misfortunes as an ass and the tragic tales he witnesses underscore the capriciousness of fate.

Characters to notice

  • Lucius

    Continues his journey as an ass, observing human folly and suffering.

  • Socrates

    His earlier tale of misfortune and witchcraft is referenced as a cautionary example.

  • Meroe

    Mentioned as the witch who ensnared Socrates, illustrating themes of deception and sorcery.

Key passages

  • “But the baker's wife, who was a very bad woman, and had a lover, did not care for her husband, and was always plotting his death.”

    The baker's wife, a wicked woman with a secret lover, despised her husband and constantly schemed to kill him.

    Illustrates the theme of deception and marital betrayal.

  • “Then the ass, being weary, and thinking it a good opportunity to escape, began to kick and bray, and made such a noise that the thieves were afraid, and ran away.”

    The tired ass, seizing a chance to flee, kicked and brayed so loudly that the thieves panicked and fled.

    Shows Lucius's animal instincts and desire for freedom.

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