Petronius is one of the most fascinating and enigmatic figures of Classical Antiquity. The bits and pieces of his biography that have come down to us, together with his surviving work, the

Satyricon

, suggest that he was a man of unusual sophistication, with remarkable insight into human nature, the foibles of his contemporary Rome, and the long traditions of Greek and Roman literature.

The Petronius Arbiter to whom our manuscripts attribute the Satyricon is almost certainly the Petronius described by the historian Tacitus (Annals 16.17; the manuscript of Tacitus records his first name as Gaius, but other sources suggest it was Titus). Tacitus portrays Petronius as an eccentric:

The Petronius Arbiter to whom our manuscripts attribute the

Satyricon

is almost certainly the Petronius…

2642 words

Citation: Moore, Timothy J.. "Petronius". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 05 April 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3541, accessed 19 March 2024.]

3541 Petronius 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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