The Golden Ass · Chapter
II explained
Aristomenus recounts finding his friend Socrates in a wretched state in Hypata, covering him and taking him to an inn, where he begins to tell his tale.
What happens
Aristomenus recounts finding his friend Socrates in a wretched state in Hypata, covering him and taking him to an inn, where he begins to tell his tale. He also describes a juggler in Athens who swallowed a sword and spear, and explains his own journey to Thessaly for cheese trading.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the psychological peak of Lucius's terror and desperation…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Fortune and Suffering
Socrates explicitly blames Fortune for his calamitous state, and Aristomenus reflects on the instability of fortune.
- Deception and Appearance
Socrates' ragged appearance hides his former identity, and the juggler's tricks deceive the eye.
Characters to notice
- Aristomenus
Narrator of the tale within the chapter; finds and aids his friend Socrates.
- Socrates
Found in a miserable state by Aristomenus; covered in rags and ashamed.
- Lucius
Listener to Aristomenus' story; offers to pay for his tale.
Key passages
“Let Fortune (quoth he) triumph yet more, let her have her sway, and finish that which she hath begun.”
Socrates resigns himself to Fortune's continued domination over his life.
Expresses the theme of fortune and suffering.
“I saw with these eyes a juggler that swallowed up a two-hand sword, with a very keen edge, and by and by for a little money that we who looked on gave him, he devoured a chasing spear with the point downward.”
Lucius describes a performer who ingested a sharp sword and then a spear for coins.
Highlights the theme of deception and appearance through a marvel.
