**The marvelously entertaining parody of imperial Rome
**
One of the most outrageous and strikingly modern works to have survived
from the ancient world, The Satyricon offers an unmatched satirical
portrait of the age of Nero, in all its excesses and chaos. It recounts
the adventures of Encolpius and his companions as they travel around
Italy, encountering courtesans, priestesses, con men, brothel-keepers,
pompous professors, and, above all, Trimalchio, the nouveau riche
millionaire whose debauched feasting and pretentious vulgarity make him
one of the great comic characters in literature.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of
classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700
titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works
throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the
series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and
notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as
up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.