The Golden Ass characters

Appears from the start

An educated young traveler whose fascination with magic takes him to Thessaly. Curious, impulsive, and strongly drawn to sensual adventure, he listens eagerly to tales of witchcraft and looks for a chance to witness it himself.

Appears from the start

A traveler Lucius meets on the road to Hypata. He recounts a disturbing story about his friend Socrates and the witch Meroe, giving Lucius his first extended example of the supernatural dangers associated with Thessaly.

Appears from the start

A miserly but prosperous citizen of Hypata who hosts Lucius through a family connection. His household offers little comfort, but his marriage to Pamphile places Lucius close to the magic he is eager to investigate.

First appears in chapter 2

Milo's wife, widely reputed in Hypata to be a powerful witch. Lucius is warned that she uses magic in pursuit of men who attract her and punishes anyone who obstructs her desires.

First appears in chapter 2

A servant in Milo's household who becomes Lucius's lover. Playful and resourceful, she has access to Pamphile's private rooms and reluctantly agrees to help Lucius observe her mistress's magic.

First appears in chapter 2

A wealthy woman in Hypata who recognizes Lucius as a relative through his mother's family. She welcomes him generously and warns him that Pamphile's apparent respectability conceals dangerous magical practices.

First appears in chapter 4

A young woman abducted by robbers shortly before her wedding. Held in their cave and terrified for her future, she is comforted by an old attendant who tells her the story of Cupid and Psyche.

First appears in chapter 4

A princess in the old woman's tale whose extraordinary beauty brings worship from strangers but leaves her without a husband. An oracle sends her to a mysterious marriage, beginning a long test of trust, endurance, and divine hostility.

First appears in chapter 4

The goddess of love in the tale of Psyche. Angered that a mortal woman's beauty is drawing away her honors, she orders her son Cupid to arrange a degrading match for the unsuspecting princess.

First appears in chapter 4

Venus's son, whom she orders to make Psyche fall in love with a degrading match. He disappears from the old woman's account just as Psyche is carried to a palace and visited by a mysterious husband who will not let her see him.

Also known as Haemus

First appears in chapter 4

Charite's fiancé, from whom she was abducted shortly before their wedding. Her hope that he is still searching for her gives the captive a personal future beyond the robbers' cave.

First appears in chapter 8

A supposed friend of Tlepolemus who is consumed by desire for Charite. After ordinary courtship proves impossible, his concealed obsession makes him a grave danger to the married couple.

Also known as Priests of the Syrian Goddess

First appears in chapter 8

A wandering group of fraudulent devotees who buy Lucius and use public performances, fortune-telling, and displays of religious excitement to obtain money and food. Their private conduct repeatedly exposes the gap between their sacred claims and their behavior.

First appears in chapter 10

A wealthy Corinthian who acquires Lucius after learning that the ass enjoys human food and can perform trained tricks. He plans to make the remarkable animal part of an elaborate public entertainment.

First appears in chapter 11

The goddess who answers Lucius when he prays beside the sea in utter desperation. She appears as a universal divine protector and promises release if he approaches her festival procession and accepts a life of grateful service afterward.