This course aims to develop your ability to read and interpret Latin literature at an advanced level. We will read excerpts in Latin from major episodes in the novelistic masterpiece by Apuleius, the Metamorphoses, also known as the Golden Ass, including the first book and the extended tale of “Cupid and Psyche.” We will also read the entire novel in translation. Apart from intensive reading, we will explore the unusual language of Apuleius, himself a native of north Africa and outsider to Roman senatorial culture; narrative structure and the use of the Milesian tales as hemeneutic devices; the relationship between the fictional world and social reality; Apuleian humor; and the place of the Roman novel in classical literature. Students will prepare a seminar presentation, write a research paper, and take three tests on translation and interpretation.