The Poetics of Mutilation in Apuleius’ Tale of Thelyphron (Met. 2,21-30)

Abstract

This paper discusses the episode of Thelyphron in the second book of Apuleius’ Metamorphoses and explores the significance of the recurring references to the bodily parts of the narrator/hero Thelyphron in the tale, pointing out their centrality, intertextual connections, and metaliterary function in the narrative. We argue that the processes of mutilation and prosthesis regarding the hero’s face correspond to the multifaceted literary character of the tale, and we discuss how the intertextual background of the above-mentioned physical change raises questions about literary composition and artistic creation.