Cupid and Psyche

A modern translation
2. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-3-565-04207-4
Verlag: epubli

Buch, Englisch, 68 Seiten, Format (B × H): 125 mm x 190 mm, Gewicht: 222 g

The most beautiful love tale from former times in a vibrant new translation

Poor Psyche. Blessed (or perhaps cursed) with such devastating beauty that people actually stopped worshipping the goddess Venus and started leaving flowers at her doorstep instead. As you might imagine, Venus was not remotely amused.

"Right," said the goddess of beauty, in so many words, "let's see how this little madam likes falling desperately in love with the most repulsive creature I can find." She dispatched her son Cupid to do the dirty work. Only Cupid, being rather good at his job, promptly fell head over wings for Psyche himself.

What ensues is the original romantic comedy of errors: a marriage to an invisible husband, a palace that makes Versailles look modest, some truly dreadful advice from sisters (the original toxic influencers), and a quest that makes Hercules' labours seem like a pleasant afternoon stroll.

This fresh translation captures all the wit and warmth of Apuleius's masterpiece. Here's a story that understands how beauty can be both gift and burden, how curiosity killed rather more than the cat, and how young wives throughout history have shown a remarkable talent for believing anyone except the person they married.

The tale that gave us Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella remains as sharp and surprising as ever. Psyche's journey from pampered princess to genuine heroine—complete with impossible mother-in-law, sisterly sabotage, and the sort of family dynamics that would make a therapist rub their hands with glee—has been enchanting readers for nearly two millennia.

Perfect for anyone who enjoys mythology with a smile.
Or needs a break from more brutal tales of real life.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Apuleius, Lucius

Terhorst, Bastian

Über Autor(innen)

Terhorst, Bastian
Born in 1979, Bastian Terhorst studied History and Theatre Studies in Berlin before specializing in the adaptation of historical material and the exploration of intersections between philosophy, politics, and storytelling.

Apuleius, Lucius
Apuleius war ein römischer Schriftsteller und Philosoph aus der Provinz Africa. Geboren um 125 n. Chr. in Madauros (heute Algerien), studierte er in Karthago und Athen, wo er sich der platonischen Philosophie widmete. Nach Reisen durch das Reich und juristischen Studien in Rom ließ er sich in Karthago nieder, wo er eine wohlhabende Witwe heiratete. Ein daraus resultierender Prozess wegen angeblicher Zauberei führte zu seiner berühmten Verteidigungsrede "Apologia". Sein Hauptwerk, "Der goldene Esel", gilt als der einzige vollständig erhaltene lateinische Roman der Antike und revolutionierte die antike Prosaliteratur. Als Philosoph des Mittelplatonismus genoss Apuleius bereits zu Lebzeiten hohes Ansehen und wurde kultisch verehrt. Er starb um 170 n. Chr. in Karthago.