Petronius The Satyricon

by William Arrowsmith

1959 Copyright. A Mentor Book Published by New American Library., 192 pages. 7 oz. (Paperback). Petronius The Satyricon (A Mentor Classic) by William Arrowsmith (Translator, Introduction) , Literature Classics,

192 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1959

Reviews

[Jeff Stookey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a novel that exists only in fragments portraying both high life and low life in ancient Rome during the reign of Nero. Definitely a different era and culture — with slaves and emperors, with different customs, clothing, food, and activities. Because much of the original is lost, we don’t get a smooth narrative, but there is plenty of gay love with Encolpius and Giton, while their friend Ascyltus and others try to horn in.
This translation into modern American English attempts to be true to the spirit of the original and it feels very modern — frank, colloquial, and humorous. The politics and corruption of the period feel very contemporary. Petronius skewers everyone in the piece. But the sophistication of Petronius’s satire, irony, style, and erudition is far above my pay grade. He references and alludes to Homer and the Greek playwrights, Virgil, and a raft of other ancient writers. Thankfully, Arrowsmith’s introduction and end notes elucidate much that goes over my head, and probably the heads of most readers.

Before naming The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald considered the titles Trimalchio and Trimalchio in West Egg, referencing a famous character in The Satyricon who rose from humble origins to become fabulously wealthy and lived a gaudy, ostentatious lifestyle characteristic of the nouveau riche.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very funny and bawdy book, written in 1st Century Rome. It was a satire and is an interesting view of Roman culture and life that you do not usually see or read about. I just wish so much of the book wasn't lost through the ages, it has many references to chapters that are missing and it is tempting to think what more would have happened to the characters. Well worth reading, though.