In the classical tale "The Satyricon", Petronius Arbiter makes a strong,
yet humorous, statement about the social life of ancient Rome. Rather
than telling the story of Encolpius and his companions heroically, which
was the typical approach of other writings of classical antiquity,
Petronius chose to show the true life and vernacular of the Roman lower
and middle class through satire and comedy. Narrator Encolpius, a former
gladiator, goes on adventures with his best friend and former lover
Ascyltos as well as his slave and current lover Giton. Yet Encolpius
constantly worries about whether or not Giton's affections are waning.
The trio participates in various parties, events, and celebrations, but
their attention is less focused on properly worshipping the gods and
more fixated on the sexual nature of the wild bacchanals. Written during
the reign of Emperor Nero, "The Satyricon", gives the reader a realistic
sense of what life was like at the time. While he was known for his
tyrannical persecution of Christians, Nero's reign was also filled with
over-the-top celebrations in honor of the gods. Petronius was a frequent
visitor to Nero's bacchanals, meaning that "The Satyricon" is a
fictional first-hand account of the time. The work is not only a
precious gem of Western literature because of its wit, but because it
gives modern readers a realistic glimpse into history. This edition is
printed on premium acid-free paper.
