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Doing Things with Words: The Force of Law and Magic in Apuleius’ Metamorphoses

Abstract: Apuleius’ Metamorphoses presents a world awash with the supernatural: witches inflict torments on countless characters leading to physical transformation, dismemberment, and death. The only authority in the text that comes close to vying with magic for power is Roman law. This study considers how Apuleius equates the compulsion of magic with the compulsion of law through thematic continuity and shared diction, arguing that in Apuleius’ fictional world, magic and the law go hand-in-hand, wreaking havoc on the lives of those who encounter them. Through this conflation of magic and law, Apuleius reinforces his negative portrayal of Roman imperial authority.