The Golden Ass

by

Apuleius

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Byrrhena Character Analysis

Byrrhena is a woman in Hypata who claims to have acted as a mother figure to Lucius, although he doesn’t remember much about her. She frequently offers her hospitality to Lucius, but Lucius is often reluctant to accept it. The interactions between Lucius and Byrrhena show how hospitality can often create obligations, and Lucius’s wariness about accepting hospitality shows that he is cautious about wanting to be in anyone’s debt, a position that he reverses at the end of the story when he gladly accepts a debt of loyalty to the goddess Isis.

Byrrhena Quotes in The Golden Ass

The The Golden Ass quotes below are all either spoken by Byrrhena or refer to Byrrhena. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Power of Stories Theme Icon
).
Book 1 Quotes

My dinner had consisted entirely of my own reports, so I was weighed down by weariness, not food, as I returned to my bedroom and surrendered to the repose I yearned for.

Related Characters: Lucius (speaker), Milo, Byrrhena
Related Symbols: Donkey
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2 Quotes

“It’s true what you say,” I replied. “I don’t think I’ve felt freer anywhere else in the world. But I’m really scared of the black-magic profession lurking in obscure holes here—there would be no chance of spotting the places, and then no chance of getting away.”

Related Characters: Lucius (speaker), Byrrhena
Page Number: 35
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Golden Ass PDF

Byrrhena Quotes in The Golden Ass

The The Golden Ass quotes below are all either spoken by Byrrhena or refer to Byrrhena. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Power of Stories Theme Icon
).
Book 1 Quotes

My dinner had consisted entirely of my own reports, so I was weighed down by weariness, not food, as I returned to my bedroom and surrendered to the repose I yearned for.

Related Characters: Lucius (speaker), Milo, Byrrhena
Related Symbols: Donkey
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2 Quotes

“It’s true what you say,” I replied. “I don’t think I’ve felt freer anywhere else in the world. But I’m really scared of the black-magic profession lurking in obscure holes here—there would be no chance of spotting the places, and then no chance of getting away.”

Related Characters: Lucius (speaker), Byrrhena
Page Number: 35
Explanation and Analysis: