Unfolding the spiritual and mythical background of the pagan narrative, this book shows how the contest between the mortal maid Psyche and the great goddess Aphrodite over the god Amor yields insights into the psychic life of women.

The renowned tale of Amor and Psyche, from Apuleius's second-century Latin novel The Golden Ass, is one of the most charming fragments of classical literature. Neumann chose it as the exemplar of an unusual study of feminine psychology. Unfolding the spiritual and mythical background of the pagan narrative, he shows how the contest between the mortal maid Psyche and the great goddess Aphrodite over the god Amor--Aphrodite's son, Psyche's husband--yields surprising and valuable insights into the psychic life of women.