The Satyricon — Volume 01: Introduction

by Petronius Arbiter

"The Satyricon — Volume 01: Introduction" by Petronius Arbiter is a Latin work of fiction written in the late 1st century AD. This Menippean satire blends prose and verse to chronicle the outrageous adventures of Encolpius and his sixteen-year-old companion Giton as they navigate the decadent underbelly of Roman society. Through brothels, bizarre rituals, and the infamous dinner party of the vulgar freedman Trimalchio, the narrative exposes the vulgarity and pretensions of early Imperial Rome with darkly comic and erotic abandon.