Apuleius, known as Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis, lived in the second century AD and was a Roman writer. He gained fame for his novel "The Golden Ass," also titled "Metamorphoses," which stands as one of the earliest surviving examples of the novel form in Western literature. In addition to his literary pursuits, Apuleius was a philosopher and a scholar of Plato. He authored numerous works on philosophy and rhetoric, offering significant insights into the intellectual and cultural landscape of the Roman Empire.