43

I am unsure whether magi have such powers, though I believe with Plato that divine forces exist intermediate between humans and gods (1-2); it seems possible that a boy can be put briefly into a trance and his immortal soul predict future events (3); at any rate, the boy in question would have to be handsome, intact, intelligent, and eloquent (4-6), which is certainly not the case with the boy Thallus I am accused of using for magical practices (7-8); he is debilitated by epilepsy and falls constantly (9-10).

(1)

Haec et alia: the anecdotes from Varro related at the end of chapter 42, and others like them.

apud plērōsque: "in (the works of) very many (authors)."

legō equidem: "I have read," present tense for present perfect. Legō makes it clear that he is not himself expert in magic, but has read about it (see audiō below); equidem expresses skepticism about what he has read. 

dicamne fierī posse an negem: = utrum dicam an negem (haec) fierī posse.

fierī posse: "can happen," "are possible."

(2)

Platōnī crēdam: "I believe Plato (when he says that) ..." introducing the indirect statements: potestātēs intersitās (esse) et eās (potestātēs) gubernāre.

inter deōs atque hominēs nātūrā et locō mediās: should be all taken together as a descriptor for quāsdam ... potestātēs: "intermediate between gods and humans in respect to their nature and rank."

eās: potestātēs.

(3)

Quīn: emphatic, introducing a statement that corroborates and amplifies what precedes, "In fact ...."

et illud: "the following thing also" (OLD ille 13), setting up indirect statement: animum humanum posse ... soporari et ... externari et ... redigi ac redire.

mēcum reputō: indicates that what follows will be the result of Apuleius's personal reflection, rather than derived from his reading.

animum: "mind."

odōrum dēlēnīmentō: most likely a reference to special burnt offerings of incense (Hunink).

ad oblīviōnem praesentium: "to the point of forgetting the present (things)," i.e., the  real world present around them, and fainting or going into a trance.

remōtā corporis memoriā: ablative absolute, "in a brief suspension of its physical memory" (Jones).

ad nātūram suam: "to its natural state."

scīlicet: "of course," since (in Platonic thinking), all human souls are immortal.

ita: "in this way," i.e., having been driven from the body to the divine realm for a while.

velut quōdam sopōre: "as though in a kind of slumber," "in a kind of trance."

(4)

Vērum enimvērō: "But in fact ..." a slightly cumbersome phrase used by Livy and Apuleius to mark a strong contrast.

utut ista sēsē habent: "however these things may be," "whether this is true or not" (Jones). utut = utcumque, LS ut I.B.3.

dēbet: emphatic by position, looking forward to dēligī: "should be chosen."

ille nesciō quī puer: "that boy, whoever he might be."

quantum ego audiō: "as far as I hear" by report, rather than by first-hand knowledge.

integer: "unblemished," but probably also refers to sexual purity (B/O).

(5) 

ut ... resūmātur: this lengthy purpose clause gives two possible rationales for choosing a handsome and intelligent boy as a prophetic medium. The first presupposes prophecy via divine intervention (ut ... divīna poestās ... dignē diversētur), the second imagines more natural causes (an [ut] ipse animus ... redigātur). The pendent relative clause (quae ... resūmātur) explains the need for unimpaired intelligence in the medium, assuming that it is the boy's own mind, and not a divine power, at work. 

clausulated text

ut in eō

aut dīvīna potestās

quasi bonīs aedibus

dignē diversētur

sī tamen ea puerī corpore inclūditur,

an (ut) ipse animus expergitus

cito ad dīvīnātiōnem suam redigātur,

quae eī

prōmptē īnsita

et nūllā oblīviōne saucia et hebes

facile resūmātur.

in eō: the boy.

quasi bonīs aedibus: "as in a suitable home" (Jones).

diversētur: "might (temporarily) dwell," "might lodge (as a guest)."

sī tamen: "if indeed."

ea: dīvīna potestās.

expergitus: "once driven out (of his body)," in order to visit the eternal from which we are born.

cito ad dīvīnātiōnem suam redigātur: "can quickly be brought back (to the body) for its (act of) divination," "can quickly be restored to its predictive power" (Jones). 

quae: antecedent is dīvīnātiō.

quae ... resumātur: relative clause of purpose, "so that (the power of prophecy) might be recovered for him easily, readily available and not diminished or dulled by forgetting."

(6) 

ex omnī lignō: "from any old piece of wood."

Mercurius: "(a statue of) Mercury." The adage, here applied by metaphor to the type of outstanding boy who should be involved in delivering prophecies, has a second layer of meaning: the next accusation Apuleius will rebut (chapters 53-65), will involve a statuette of Mercury carved from a special wood.

(7)

Quod sī ita est: "If which thing is so," "if this is the case."

nōmināte: introducing the indirect question quis ... fuerit puer.

quis ille fuerit: "who that boy was," pf. subj. in indirect question.

quem ... dignātus sim: "whom I supposedly considered worthy."

(8)

Cēterum:  "Yet," LS ceterus II.A.4.

nōmināstis: nōmināvistis.

potius ... indiget: "is more in need of," + abl.

(9)

morbō comitiālī: "epilepsy," so styled because its occurrence at the comitia (elections) was regarded as an evil omen and caused the comitia to be suspended (B/O).

diē: "per day."

saepe numerō sine ūllīs cantāminibus: "oftentimes without any chanting at all."

cōnflīctātiōnibus: "with his flailings," "spasms."

conquassātus: "battered," i.e., "bruised."

cadūcus: "unsteady," "prone to falling down."

(10) 

quō praesente: abl. absolute, "with whom being present," "in whose presence."

ita plērumque: "so often."

morbō ceu somnō: ablatives of cause, "due to illness or sleep."

vergēns inclīnātur: "sways," "swoons."