Apuleius, Lucius, c.124-c.170, Latin writer, satirist, rhetorician, b. Hippo (now Bône, Algeria). His narrative romance The Golden Ass or Metamorphoses is the only Latin work of fiction to survive in entirety. It tells the story of Lucius of Corinth, who is transformed into an ass by a Thessalian woman and undergoes a series of strange and exciting adventures before he is restored to human form. The Golden Ass has been tremendously popular, influencing strongly the history of the novel, e.g., the works of Boccaccio, Cervantes, Fielding, and Smollett. Other works by Apuleius include The Apology or On Magic, his defense in a suit brought by his wife's family for gaining her affections by magic; Florida, an anthology of his works; and On the God of Socrates, On the Philosophy of Plato, and On the World, philosophical treatises.

(born circa AD 124, Madauros, Numidia—died after 170?) Roman Platonic philosopher, rhetorician, and author. His The Golden Ass, a prose narrative of the ribald adventures of a young man who is changed into an ass, was long influential. This novel, considered a revelation of ancient manners, is valuable for its description of the ancient religious mysteries. Apuleius's philosophical treatises include three books on Plato, two of which survive.

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Lucius (abbreviated L.) is one of the small group of common forenames found in the culture of ancient Rome.

It is derived from the latin word Lux (Lux, Lucis), meaning "light" (<PIE *leuk-, "brightness"). Another etymology proposed is a derivation from etruscan Lauchum, meaning "king", which however was transferred into Latin as lucumo.

Famous men with this forename (praenomen) include:

• Lucius Iunius Brutus - founder of the Roman Republic and traditionally one of the first consuls in 509 BC.
• Lucius Valerius Flaccus - consul in 100 BC
• Lucius Cornelius Sulla - a leader in the Social War of (91-88 BC), elected dictator for life in 81 BC
• Lucius Licinius Lucullus (c. 118-56 BC) General, consul 74 BC and a supporter of Sulla.
• Lucius Cornelius Cinna - Julius Caesar's Father-in-Law
• Lucius Aurelius Cotta - consul in 65 BC
• Lucius Sergius Catilina - the leader of a conspiracy in 63 BC
• Lucius Antonius - brother of Mark Antony
• Lucius Caesar - grandson of Augustus Caesar
• Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus - brother of Scipio Africanus, the victor of the Battle of Magnesia
• Lucius Annaeus Seneca - Roman philosopher and playwright
• Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus - later the Emperor Nero
• Lucius of Cyrene - (Acts of the Apostles Ch. 4)
• Lucius Apuleius - Author of The Golden Ass
• Lucius Artorius Castus - Roman military commander, a possible historical basis for King Arthur
• Lucius of Britain, semi-legendary British King c. 179
• Pope Lucius I
• Pope Lucius II
• Pope Lucius III
• Lucius Modestini Franciscan Tertiary
• Lucius D. Clay - American general

Fictional characters named Lucius

• Lucius - In the play "Titus Andronicus" by William Shakespeare, Lucius is Titus' son and only survivor at the end.
• Lucius - In the play "Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Lucius is Brutus' servant
• Lucius - Fictional character in the Game Boy Advance game, Fire Emblem.
• Lucius - The pit crew captain in the 2006 movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, played by Michael Clarke Duncan
• Lucius - The main character of The Golden Ass
• Lucius - A character from Le Morte d'Arthur
• Lucius the Eternal - Fictional character in the Warhammer 40,000 universe
• Lucius Best/Frozone - cryokinetic superhero from The Incredibles and a long time friend of the Incredible Family.
• Lucius Down - Humble barkeeper at the Barrelhaven Tavern with a mysterious past in the epic Jeff Smith comic Bone.
• Lucius Fox - CEO of Wayne Enterprises from the Batman comics
• Lucius Hunt - Fictional character in The Village by M. Night Shyamalan.
• Lucius Lavin - Character from the Stargate Atlantis episodes Irresistible and Irresponsible
• Lucius Malfoy - character in the Harry Potter books, father of Draco Malfoy
• Lucius Petrus Dextrus - Character from the "Doctor Who" episode "The Fires of Pompeii"
• Lucius Vorenus - a fictionalized character appearing on Rome, loosely based on a centurion in Julius Caesar's army.
• Lucius Quick - A young boy in William Faulkner's novel The Reivers.
• "Pimp" Lucius - A character in R.Kelly's 'Hip-Hopra' Trapped in the Closet.
• Lucius - A dwarf priest on the Mug'Thol realm in the MMORPG World of Warcraft.

Other uses of the name Lucius

• Lucius - Swansea based one man alternative rock band fronted by Luke Morgan
• Ho Chi Minh - Lucius = CIA handle for Ho Chi Minh before the Vietnam War
• Lucius Hunt - Australian progressive alternative rock band