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?