Commentarij a Philippo Beroaldo conditi in asinu[m] aureu[m] Lucij Apuleij

The Golden Ass by Lucius Apellius (born 124 AD) is one of only two surviving Ancient Roman novels and is the only complete work in the genre. This story has been highly prized by scholars, including Fillipo Beraldo, a 16th-century teacher whose lifework included editing and annotating Latin literature for his students. The commentary book as a genre will typically include a glossary for unfamiliar terms or points of interest, like explaining to a reader what event the author may have been referencing. Beraldo also edited many other Latin works in the same style that this book was printed in, such as works by Cicero, Juvenal, Pliny the Elder, and more.

The golden ass tells the humorous story of Lucius, a man determined to experience magic who is turned into a donkey. While the book is supposed to be humorous and light-hearted, the contents are highly prized among scholars for being one of the very few accounts of the life of a more typical Roman man instead of a noble or an account of poetic myth. The book includes multiple unusual scenes, including one of the few accounts in Latin literature that is sympathetic towards slaves.