Metamorphoses 11.14-15

Procession in Honor of Isis, painted in the late 1800s.

Thoughts on this passage:

• More of Isis vs. Fate - this time, it seems that Isis defeated Fate on behalf of Lucius. Very interesting, that. Maybe worth exploring.
• As Isis saved Lucius, it seems that she claims him as her own slave. That word in particular is used a couple of times. Lucius must become a priest (sacerdos) of Isis to repay her for his freedom.
• It's the last line I find interesting - the idea that in service to God we find freedom is not an unfamiliar one. Since this was written during the Second Sophistic, right around the time that the Christians and their funny, cultish, new religion was getting attention, I'd be very interested to see where and when this idea permeated. I haven't read it in any previous Latin literature, although that's no guarantee it wasn't there, of course. Maybe I just haven't seen it.
• Even in the midst of these miracles. Apuleius can't help making Lucius a little bit of a ridiculous figure. Him standing there with no clothes is a scene that has appeared in a dozen cartoons, deservedly so. It's hilarious.

At ego stupore nimio defixus haerebam, animo meo tam repentinum tamque magnum non capiente gaudium, quid potissimum praefarer primarium, unde novae vocis exordium caperem, quo sermone nunc renata lingua felicius auspicarer, quibus quantisque verbis tantae deae gratias agerem. Sed sacerdos utcumque divino monitu cognitis ab origine cunctis cladibus meis, quamquam et ipse insigni permotus miraculo, nutu significato prius praecipit tegendo mihi linteam dari laciniam; nam me cum primum nefasto tegmine despoliaverat asinus, compressis in artum feminibus et superstrictis accurate manibus, quantum nudo licebat, velamento me naturali probe muniveram. Tunc e cohorte religionis unus inpigre superiorem exutus tunicam supertexit me celerrume. Quo facto sacerdos vultu geniali et hercules inhumano in aspectum meum attonitus sic effatur:

But I was was stuck, fixed in place with too much shock. My mind was not grasping such great  and such sudden joy, or what powerful words I should say first, or from where I might sieze opening words for my new-again voice, or by what speech I might prophesey greater happiness with my reborn tongue, or with what and how many words I might give thanks to so great a goddess. But the priest, with all my secrets of origin being known to him by some divine revelation, and yet having been moved himself by the remarkable miracle, with a significant nod he ordered that linen cloak be given to me for covering myself. For when the donkey had first stripped me of his luck-forsaken coat, with my thighs pressed together artfully and with my hands carefully clasped, I covered myself properly with a natural fig-leaf, as much as it was possible for a naked man. Then one man from the religious cohort, having taken off his outer covery speedily, quickly covered me with it. With this act having been done, the priest, staring at me with a kind face and, my stars, a more-than-human expression, thus said the following:

"Multis et variis exanclatis laboribus magnisque Fortunae tempestatibus et maximis actus procellis ad portum Quietis et aram Misericordiae tandem, Luci, venisti. Nec tibi natales ac ne dignitas quidem, vel ipsa, qua flores, usquam doctrina profuit, sed lubrico virentis aetatulae ad serviles delapsus voluptates curiositatis inprosperae sinistrum praemium reportasti. Sed utcumque Fortunae caecitas, dum te pessimis periculis discruciat, ad religiosam istam beatitudinem inprovida produxit malitia. Eat nunc et summo furore saeviat et crudelitati suae materiem quaerat aliam; nam in eos, quorum sibi vitas servitium deae nostrae maiestas vindicavit, non habet locum casus infestus.  Quid latrones, quid ferae, quid servitium, quid asperrimorum itinerum ambages reciprocae, quid metus mortis cotidianae nefariae Fortunae profuit? In tutelam iam receptus es Fortunae, sed videntis, quae suae lucis splendore ceteros etiam deos illuminat. Sume iam vultum laetiorem candido isto habitu tuo congruentem, comitare pompam deae sospitatricis inovanti gradu. Videant inreligiosi, videant et errorem suum recognoscant: en ecce pristinis aerumnis absolutus Isidis magnae providentia gaudens Lucius de sua Fortuna triumphat. Quo tamen tutior sis atque munitior, da nomen sanctae huic militiae, cuius non olim sacramento etiam rogabaris, teque iam nunc obsequio religionis nostrae dedica et ministerii iugum subi voluntarium. Nam cum coeperis deae servire, tunc magis senties fructum tuae libertatis."

"Lucius, you have come from many and diverse slavelike labors and from the great storms of Fortune and having been acted upon by enormous tumults, and you have finally come to the harbor of Quiet and the altar of Mercy. Indeed for you your birth has not been profitable, nor your position in society, and not even your education itself, prosperous as it is, has helped you, but, having fallen into slavish pleasures on the slippery slide of green youth you carry back the inauspicious prize of an unfortunate curiosity. But whatever the blindness of Fortune, while she tortures you with the worst of perils, to blessed religion itself a thoughtless wickedness leads you. Now let her march away and let her rage with the greatest fury and let her obtain another victim for torture; for in those lives which the majesty of our Goddess claims as slaves for herself, an unsafe calamity has no place. What robbers, what wild animals, what back and forth riddles of the harshest journeys, what daily fear of death was profitable to wicked Fortune? Now you have been recieved into the tutelage of a Fortune, but one who can see, and by whose splendor of light she even illuminates the rest of the gods.  Now assume a happier face, one that matches your bright white outfit. and go along with the procession of the defender goddess with a renewed step. Let the unreligious see, let them see and recognize their error: behold, happy Lucius triumphs over Fate, having been saved from fresh trials by the grace of the great Isis. Nevertheless, in order that you be safer and better protected, give your name to this sacred army, to the ordinance of which you were called not long ago, and now dedicate yourself immediately through the ceremony of our religion and submit to the voluntary order of our ministry. For when you begin to be a slave to the goddess, then you will feel even more the fruits of your liberty."