The Golden Ass

by

Apuleius

The stepson is part of the story of a terrible crime that Lucius hears about (as a donkey) while under the ownership of the soldier. His stepmother falls in love with him, but he resists, angering her. She tries to poison him, but ends up accidentally poisoning her biological son instead (although in the end, it turns out the “poison” was just a sedative given to her by a doctor who was suspicious of her intentions).
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The Stepson Character Timeline in The Golden Ass

The timeline below shows where the character The Stepson appears in The Golden Ass. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 10
The Power of Stories Theme Icon
Faithfulness and Loyalty Theme Icon
Identity, Transformation, and Curiosity Theme Icon
Consequences of Greed Theme Icon
...story of the crime, there is an unfaithful stepmother who begins to lust after her stepson. She tries to hide her extreme lust by passing it off as illness, but eventually... (full context)
The Power of Stories Theme Icon
Faithfulness and Loyalty Theme Icon
Identity, Transformation, and Curiosity Theme Icon
Consequences of Greed Theme Icon
The stepmother secures poison to give her stepson, but her biological son drinks some by accident and dies. She then uses this as... (full context)