The Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter

by Petronius Arbiter

"The Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter" by Petronius Arbiter is a Latin work of fiction written in the late 1st century AD. This fragmentary Roman novel follows narrator Encolpius and his companion Giton through a series of bizarre, erotic, and comic adventures in the Roman underworld. Blending prose and verse, the surviving sections showcase absurd encounters—from sexual escapades to the infamous banquet of Trimalchio, a vulgar, wealthy freedman whose grotesque extravagance exposes the pretensions of Rome's nouveau riche. This Menippean satire offers both outrageous entertainment and revealing glimpses into early Roman Empire life.