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Башня и пещера: о так называемом «платонизме» Метаморфоз Апулея
The Platonic interpretation of the Metamorphoses and of the tale of Cupid and Psyche has a long tradition. Indeed, the speaking names of the characters and distinctive plots of both the novel and the tale may prompt one to “expose” a Platonic inspiration of the author. But we try to demonstrate that Platonic allusions in Apuleius do not intend to “mask” a presentation of the established Platonic teachings. Apuleius treats Platonic samples as a ground to plant his own crops. His novel affirms the novelty of its own. A tower at the entrance to the robbers’ cave which penetrates into the tale narrated inside the cave by the hag acts as a living creature. This image may serve as a key to reveal a new, more than just referential function of the images derived from Plato. Apuleius presents a non-Platonic vision of the art: the fictional narrative per se proves to be a way to the beauty and the divine.