Éléments juridiques dans les Métamorphoses d’Apulée

Legal elements in Apuleius’ Metamorphoses · In the Apuleius’s Metamorphoses the reference to the law has a strong expressive connotation. In the passages examined the contrast between the solemnity of the legal institution and the situation in which it is inserted highlights the corruption of customs. In the fable of Cupid and Psyche the reference to the confarreatio (met. 5, 26, 6-7 ; 10, 29, 1), which reveals the ambition and selfishness of the sisters of Psyche, is characterized by a strong religious connotation ; the portrait of Venus, who uses ‘legal motivations’ to declare the marriage of Cupid and Psyche illegitimate (met. 6, 9, 6) shows a capricious goddess, moved by inherently human selfish feelings. Finally, in the trial that takes place during the tenth book (met. 10, 2-12) the drama of the situation increases : the involvement of an innocent person and the continuous twists of a judicial nature as well as the references to archaic procedures, such as the poena cullei, reveal the murky background. The allusion to legal procedures and the use of technical language sometimes create comic effects with the intent of irreverently overturn literary topoi, however, it seems that Apuleius tends to consider law as an extremely important matter : the contrast between archaic legal institutions, characterized by a strong idealizing value, and hideous human behavior, expresses Apuleius’s criticism towards a corrupt present.