The Golden Ass · Chapter
XXXVII explained
Lucius, still in ass form, narrowly escapes being killed by a treacherous cook by breaking his halter and running into a dining room where his master and priests are feasting.
What happens
Lucius, still in ass form, narrowly escapes being killed by a treacherous cook by breaking his halter and running into a dining room where his master and priests are feasting. He is locked in a chamber after causing chaos, but a false alarm about a mad dog leads the household to suspect he is rabid. They test him with water, and he drinks calmly, proving his sanity. The next day, he is laden again with the goddess Syria's trumpery and continues begging through villages, eventually arriving at a town built on an ancient city's foundation.
Themes in this chapter
Fortune and Suffering
Lucius repeatedly suffers misfortunes—first from the cook's treachery, then from the false rabies scare—yet fortune or divine providence spares him through cleverness and chance.
Deception and Appearance
The household mistakes Lucius's calm behavior for madness, while his gentle demeanor disproves their presumption; appearances are deceptive both for the ass and the accusers.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“I brake the halter wherewith I was tied, and flinging my heels hither and thither to save myself, at length I ran hastily into a parlour, where the master of the house was feasting with the priests of the goddess Syria, and disquieted all the company, throwing down their meats and drinks from the table.”
I broke the rope that bound me and kicked wildly to escape, then dashed into a dining room where the master was dining with the Syrian priests, upsetting the entire party and spilling their food and drink.
Lucius's desperate escape causes chaos among the feasting company.
“Howbeit fortune, or the fatal disposition of the divine providence, which neither can be avoided by wise counsel, neither yet by any wholesome remedy, invented a new torment”
Nevertheless, fortune or the inevitable plan of divine providence—which cannot be evaded by any wise plan or cure—devised a fresh ordeal.
Lucius reflects on the inescapable nature of fate and divine will.
“I as soon as I perceived the wholesome water of my life, ran incontinently, thrusting my head into the basin, drank as though I had been greatly athirst”
As soon as I saw the life-giving water, I rushed over, plunged my head into the basin, and drank as if I were extremely thirsty.
Lucius eagerly drinks the water to prove he is not rabid.