What Is A Myth? The Metamorphoses: Mythos or Logos?

The Metamorphoses: Mythos or Logos?
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* Introduction
“The Metamorphoses” also known as “The Golden Ass”, is a literary work written by Apuleius during the Roman Empire. This is one of the few works during that era which is still discussed in modern times and is the only Roman novel that has fully survived. The book consists of the main story about how the protagonist, Lucius of Patrae is turned into an ass because of his curiosity and insatiable desire to practice magic. He wanted to practice and turn himself into a bird but ends up turning into an ass. This becomes the start of a long journey on how he would be able to regain back his old form, specifically his body, because even though his body is transformed into an animal, he still retains the mind of a human person, as Lucius. In his journey, he encounters different stories that are also part of this literary piece from the Roman Empire.
Literary works from different timelines and parts of history have mythos and logos. Mythos or myth in literature refers to a traditional narration of stories having themes and lessons, associated with concepts that are far from reality. This is usually passed on by word of mouth from generation to generation. Mythos reflect the culture, religion, beliefs, etc. of the society. Logos on the other hand is more focused on reality, and what is logical. This refers to the pragmatic, rational, and practical, often associated with scientific methods as proof of the presence of external reality and beliefs.
The work of Apuleius was often used as an allegorical piece that s void of morality and is a satirical approach in the various vices that human beings are associated with. Although the story and the tales within are easily classified as mythos, in this paper, I will argue that “The Metamorphoses” or “The Golden Ass” by Apuleius was written as logos more than mythos, as reflected by Lucius, as well as other factors in the story.
* The Logos in Apuleius’ The Metamorphoses
Lucius as Logos
In the analysis of “The Metamorphoses” or “The Golden Ass” of the Roman Empire, determining which one between mythos and logos is Apuleius is more inclined to. This can be identified in the story by looking at the plot and the overall flow of it, depending on how the scenes and various themes are laid out by Apuleius, but another perspective that can be used to identify the inclination of Apuleius between mythos and logos is through the character of the protagonist of Apuleius in “The Golden Ass”, which is Lucius.
The character of Lucius in the story of Apuleius demonstrates curiosity which led him to the whole journey of transforming accidentally into an ass and finding his way back to manhood (Schlam, 1992). This character also demonstrates naivety towards the presence of evil and wrongdoings which eventually will be relayed to the audience as Lucius finds a rose as a cure. The human beings encountered by Lucius in the story exhibited various kinds of evil such as adultery, sorcery, wickedness, murder, etc. Lucius is not described as similar to masculine heroes exuding power a...