O'Brien, Maeve C.

Dr. Maeve C. O’Brien lectures in Classics at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. She has published articles on Apuleius and other aspects of Latin literature. Dr. O'Brien has been Secretary and Chairperson of the National Committee for Greek and Latin Studies at the Royal Irish Academy, and is now Secretary to the Board of the Irish Institute for Hellenic Studies at Athens, Ltd.

Apuleius' Debt to Plato in the Metamorphoses

2003 0-7734-7012-3
This book argues for a Platonist approach to the novel Metamorphoses, and shows that Apuleius forms his own theory of discourse in his philosophical work. This study of Apuleius’ late Roman novel is also a response to the scholarly debate about the unity of the text. The author shows that the Metamorphoses is a perfect illustration of the very Platonic notion of an inferior discourse that is captivating, persuasive, and suited to dealing with inconsistent or ephemeral subjects.