The Satyricon

by PetroniI

Overview

According to Wikipedia: "Satyricon (or Satyrica) is a Latin work of fiction in a mixture of prose and poetry. It is believed to have been written by Gaius Petronius, though the manuscript tradition identifies the author as a certain Titus Petronius. As with the Metamorphoses of Apuleius, classical scholars often describe it as a "Roman novel", without necessarily implying continuity with the modern literary form. The surviving portions of the text detail the misadventures of the narrator, Encolpius, and his lover, a handsome sixteen-year-old boy named Giton. Throughout the novel, Encolpius has a hard time keeping his lover faithful to him as he is constantly being enticed away by others. Encolpius's friend Ascyltus (who seems to have previously been in a relationship with Encolpius) is another major character. It is a rare example of a Roman novel, the only other surviving example (quite different in style and plot) being Metamorphoses written by Lucius Apuleius. It is also extremely important evidence for the reconstruction of what everyday life must have been like for the lower classes during the early Roman Empire."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781455415830
Publisher:	Samizdat Express
Publication date:	11/10/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	561 KB

About the Author

Titus Petronius Arbiter, the purported author of The Satyricon, was an advisor to the Roman emperor Nero. The victim of court intrigue, he commited suicide in AD 66.

J.P. Sullivan (d. 1993) was a professor of classics at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Helen Morales is an associate professor of classics at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Table of Contents

Introduction v

Satyricon 1

Poems 143

From the Fragments 155

Appendices 159

Appendix 1 Before our Text Begins 161

Appendix 2 The Main Characters in the Satyricon 163

Appendix 3 Tacitus on Petronius 167

Appendix 4 Some Later Mentions of Petronius's work 169

Appendix 5 Two Earlier English Versions of the Satyricon 175

Appendix 6 Fellini-Satyricon 179

Notes 184

Editorial Reviews

"This version by a translator who understands the high art of low humor is conspicuously funny."
—Time

"William Arrowsmith's translation of The Satyricon meets the two fundamental requirements of the translator's art: perfect fidelity to the original and a vitality of style that tempts the reader to believe that the English version is not a translation.… A classic of literature."
—Allen Tate

"Arrowsmith's brilliant translation … at one stroke renders every other version obsolete."
—London Times Literary Supplement

From the Publisher