The Great Library › The Golden Ass › the whole text › Section 1The Golden Ass, Section 1: Milesian tales
The book opens with a prologue. A voice, not yet named, promises a string of tales in the “Milesian” manner and asks for the reader’s goodwill.
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How it opens, word by word At But ego I tibi for you sermone style isto in that Milesio Milesian varias various fabulas tales conseram would like to string together aures ears -que and tuas your benivolas kindly lepido with a charming
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1.1a Milesian tales. But I would like to string together for you, in that Milesian style, various…1.1b Who is speaking?. I begin. Who is he? Hear it in a few words. Attic Hymettus and…1.1c A foreigner’s Latin. Soon after, in the Latin city, a newcomer to the studies of the Romans,…1.1d Reader, pay attention. Indeed this very change of language suits the style we have taken up, the…1.2a Bound for Thessaly. Thessaly (for there too the foundations of our mother’s line, handed down from the…1.2b Down from the saddle. After we had come up through the steep mountains, the slippery valleys, the dewy…1.2c Care of the horse. I rub down the horse’s forehead with care, stroke back his ears, take off…1.2d Two travellers. And while he, head down, grabs at the meadows he passes, his mouth twisted…1.2e Stop lying. And while I was listening in to what they were talking about, one of…1.2f Let me in on it. Hearing that, and thirsty as always for something new, I said: “No, really, share…1.3a As true as magic. But the man who had begun said: “Oh, sure. That lie is as true…1.3b Go on with it. Then I, bolder in my words, said: “Hey, you, the one who started the…1.3c New to the ear. By Hercules, little do you realize that, thanks to crooked prejudices, things are counted…Open Section 1 in the full reader
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