Lucius is a self-educated Greek man traveling to Thessaly. His intense curiosity about magic leads him to seek out witches. His hunger to experience the mystical firsthand drives him to test dangerous spells, setting off a chain of unintended consequences that force him into a harsh education about the world.

Photis is an enslaved servant working in Milo's household in Hypata. She cheerfully accepts Lucius's romantic advances and manages her mistress's magical supplies. She holds her own in the household hierarchy, demonstrating confidence and independence.

Charite is a young woman from a wealthy family who is kidnapped by bandits right before her wedding. She deeply mourns her separation from her fiancé and relies on stories to survive her captivity in the mountain stronghold.

Psyche is a mortal princess whose astonishing beauty causes people to worship her as a goddess. Sent to a mountaintop to marry a supposed monster, she instead finds herself in a magical palace with an invisible husband. Her natural curiosity often leads her into complicated situations.

Venus is the goddess of love and beauty. She grows deeply furious when mortals neglect her temples to worship a human girl. She assigns impossible tasks to punish her rival and torments her disobedient son.

Meroe is an immensely powerful, sadistic witch who takes cruel revenge on lovers who try to abandon her. She is capable of terrifying magical feats and reacts violently to anyone who opposes her will.

Milo is a wealthy but notoriously miserly man living in Hypata. He provides Lucius with a place to stay, offering meager dinners and uncomfortable lodgings. He makes endless chitchat with his guests, entirely missing the supernatural activities occurring in his own home.

Pamphile is Milo's wife and a formidable practitioner of dark magic. She uses her supernatural abilities to pursue young men around the city of Hypata. Her ability to transform herself using magical ointments fascinates her houseguest and sets the plot in motion.

Byrrhena is a wealthy aristocratic woman living in Hypata. She loves hosting lavish dinner parties and decorating her home with spectacular art, such as a highly realistic statue of Diana. She warns her nephew about the local dangers of witchcraft.

Tlepolemus is Charite's beloved fiancé. When she is kidnapped by a band of robbers, he uses his wits and courage to track her down, proving his devotion to their impending marriage.

Cupid is the god of love, sent by his mother Venus to punish Psyche. Instead, he falls in love with her and hides his identity, visiting her only in the dark to protect their secret union.

Isis is a powerful moon goddess who commands the natural world. She appears from the ocean in flowing robes after hearing a desperate prayer. She offers comfort and direction to those who pledge their lives to her service.

Aristomenes is a traveler who shares a horrifying personal account of magic with Lucius on the road. He witnessed the terrifying power of witches firsthand when he tried to help an old friend escape their clutches.

Socrates is an unfortunate man who falls victim to a vengeful witch. Held captive and drained of his vitality, he lives in constant terror of his captor's magical abilities and violent retribution.

Panthia is a fellow witch who assists Meroe in her violent magical endeavors. She participates in the cruel punishment of the men attempting to flee their supernatural grasp.

Thelyphron is an unfortunate man who took a high-paying job guarding a corpse from witches in Hypata. Because of a magical mishap involving his name, he suffered a permanent and humiliating facial disfigurement.

Thrasyllus is a rival for Charite's affections. He schemes his way into the lives of Charite and her fiancé Tlepolemus, looking to eliminate his competition under the guise of friendship.

Philebus is an unscrupulous priest in a traveling cult that worships the goddess Cybele. He and his fellow priests make their living by carrying around a divine effigy, begging for alms, and staging violent self-flagellation to inspire donations.

Thiasus is a wealthy man organizing a gladiatorial show. He discovers an animal with highly unusual eating habits and decides to profit from the creature's bizarrely human-like behavior by putting it on public display.

Osiris is a powerful god closely linked to Isis. His service requires deep devotion, patience, and complete dedication from his priests, demanding physical and spiritual transformation from his followers.

Jupiter is the king of the gods in the story of Cupid and Psyche. He acts as a supreme judge, balancing the furious demands of Venus with the pleas of Cupid, and ultimately enforcing order among the divine pantheon.

Pythias is an old school friend of Lucius who works as an official in Hypata's marketplace. He attempts to help Lucius when a fishmonger cheats him, though his bureaucratic intervention ruins Lucius's dinner.