Petronius’ Satyricon

On morals, manners, and the lower classes in Roman society

Today’s Lecture

Introduction to Petronius’ Satyricon

How did the Romans live during Nero’s reign?

Please read the section labeled Trimalchio by 4/5/05

Satire = ridicule of society’s morals or customs

The title “Satyricon” has been adopted by many others, including this Norwegian heavy metal band.

It is also the title of Petronius’ novel

Origins of the word satire

Satura = medley Satyr = smelly, hairy goat Mennipean Satire = humorous discussion of

philosophy in alternating prose and verse Proverbs, short verses, stories, varying diction Petronius is not being moralistic and you are not

meant to see a call for reform in his words

Who was Gaius Petronius? ~27-66 A.D. Arbiter elegantae = the judge of

elegance Advised the emperor Nero Slept all day, partied all night Forced to commit suicide Before he died, he made fun of Nero in

his will and sent him a copy of it

What was life like in the time of Nero? Nero’s reign was known for his

excessive spending and immorality He loved the theater and lavish building

projects But life at court was very capricious -

you never knew when the emperor would turn against you

Main characters in the Satyricon

Encolpius

Ascyltos

Giton

The setting

Campania Region around

Naples Near Mt. Vesuvius In 79 AD, the

eruption of the volcano preserved two cities, PompeiI and Herculaneum

The Novel

Encolpius, Ascyltos, and Giton have already had a series of adventures when they arrive at Trimalchio’s house for dinner

They meet a professor of rhetoric, Agamemnon, who tells them about their host Trimalchio

First Impressions

Fresh balls Silver pissing bottle Eunuchs for “handi

wipes” Ignores his guests

completely

Wealthy Poor manners Very vulgar Center of attention Carried on a litter to

his house

It’s all in the details

Slaves spill wine Trimalchio thinks it

is a libation to him Libation to

household gods the proper thing to do

Servants are in uniform

Trimalchio acts as if he is the household god

Also acts like a victorious general

The Roman House

Notice the placement of windows on this model

As you read the assignment, notice the decorations Trimalchio has in his house

Wall Decorations in Ancient Rome Wall paintings often

featured fantastic scenes or landscapes

Architectural elements

Hercules with Juno and Minerva

Elevated Subjects

Theseus slays the minotaur

Greek myths were popular subjects for wall decorations

Can Trimalchio tell the difference between high art and popular culture?

Behavior of Slaves Copies the Master Trimalchio’s door

contains a notice of his social calendar, including the dates when he will be out to dinner

Servants refer to him on the notice as “Gaius” (informal use of his name)

Slave who has lost his royal purple cloak is NOT beaten by another slave

The cloak had already been washed once, so it must be worn out and old

A Theatrical Scene

Ability to create life-like 3-D scenes

Cf. Dog mural in Trimalchio’s house

Scenes of Trimalchio’s life

At the dinner table

Guests have ice water poured over their hands

Their fingernails are cut

Slaves are imported from Egypt (this would be expensive)

Food is another symbol of the upper class that Trimalchio has imported into his world

How does the food resemble one thing but turn out to be another?

Entrance to Dinner

Slave’s Haircut Napkin with purple

border Gold ring Enters to ceremonial

music Our three “heroes”

laugh at him

Trimalchio has appropriated the symbols of the upper class

He is a freedman who is rich but is “nouveau riche”

During the dinner

Trimalchio ignores his guests

Plays a game instead

Picks his teeth with a silver toothpick

Now wine is being poured over the guests’ hands

A silver skeleton is brought in

Trimalchio sings to his guests

Some points to consider:

Look for evidence that the guests are laughing at (not with) Trimalchio

Is Encolpius a reliable narrator?

Does he know much about appropriate behavior himself?

Does Encolpius appear to enjoy it when Trimalchio makes a fool of himself?

Why does Encolpius say he is too full to eat any more?

Final Thoughts

The story you will read has much in common with Brantenberg’s novel

As you read Egalia’s Daughters, consider how the lower class tries to appropriate the symbols of the upper class

Why is Brantenberg’s novel a call for revolution and Petronius’ novel a merely amusing look at how cultural norms are being violated?