Petronius’s Satyricon: Trimalchio and Encolpius Essay

Satyricon is a unique literary work which is a combination of first-person narration and tales encompassing the lives of even the quotidian Greek people. Gaius Petronius wrote it around 61 AD inspired by the shower down lookstyle in Rome, literature, art, and self-expression, vulgar abuse of wealth, pretension, and religious superstition enactment Nero in some parts of the novel (Wilson, 2007). Tacitus, a famous historian, was the important source of Petronius life.Petronius worked as a consul during Neros reign. He is known as the Arbiter which means judge of elegance whom Emperor Nero often consults just near matters regarding luxury, extravagance, art and literature. However, a rival got jealous over who accused him of treason. In response, Petronius committed suicide instead of being executed (Ruden, 2000). Petronius wide go steady on literature and arts exclusivelyowed to explore write a cultivate book about the people in different ranks.Satyricon main characters comp licate (1) Encolpius, who is the narrator (2) Trimalchio, a hard worker (3) Agamemnon , teacher of Encolpius and (4) Fortunata, the wife of Trimalchio (Dinner with Trimalchio from the Satyricon,). Encolpius is genuinely clever and adventurous man who is to a fault a student of elaborateness who composes and delivers speeches. Encolpius was cursed by the ph totallyic god, Priapus, to be impotent and he travels all along with his friends Giton and Ascyltos just to find a cure. Ascyltos, a young and gay, is also a student of rhetoric.Giton, on the other hand, is a slave who go with them throughout their journey. Along their travel, they a met a poet named Eumolpus whom they met on the road and persistent to travel with them also (Sergius, 2005). They traveled to Campania, a Greek town and delivered a speech there about his dislike on the prevailing literature. He said accused the prop mavennts of declamatory education as the root. However, Agamemnon who is a declaimer, point in on the pargonnts instead. His friend Ascyltos on the other hand, left in escape from Agamemnon.More disputes has happened, only one of the most significant events in on the novel is the Dinner with Trimalchio. Trimalchio used to be a slave but because of his perseverance, he was able to freed himself and attain wealth and power at the same time. The foursome happens to be invited by Trimalchio and his wife, Fortunata, on a full dinner that they never imagined. Aside from the Encolpius and his friends, high ranking people are also invited such as the rich, lawyers, traders, merchants, and other free men.Trimalchios house, as described by Encolpius, is very spectacular especially the wall paintings of a watch dog whom Encolpius thought was real painting of the Trimalchios life Iliad and Odyssey and gladiatorial combat (Wilson, 2007). Encolpius is fascinated by all the wall paintings reflection that, There was no time in which to examine them all. Trimalchio is fashioned with napk in with purple border, his left hand wearing rings one of pure gold with iron stars around it, a golden arm-band on his aright arm, and a bracelet mad of ivory.Trimalchio is described as a senator and equestrian fanatic. Trimalchio believes in some superstition such as right foot forward first, preoccupation with death and zodiac dish. Each zodiac is represented with a specific dish such as ram on Aries, recoil on Taurus, kidneys on Gemini, crown on cancer, sows uterus on Virgo, African fig on Leo, balance on Libra, seafish on Scorpio, bulls eye on Saguitarrius, lobster on Capricorn, goose on Aquarius and mullet on Pisces (Gill, 2007). Encolpius asked a servant and learned more of the how loaded Trimalchio is.Trimalchio purchased expensive wool, pitch, pepper, rams, bees from Attica and other sorts of things he bought. His wealth continues to increase and is clever enough to conceal if his business goes bankrupt by announcing an auction. Throughout the dinner, Trimalchio tried to talk of and boast all about his life and how he got the wealth he is enjoying. He is implying that he used to have nothing at all but despite of that, he is now richer and powerful. He entertains hi guest with extravagant dishes and exhibitions, the way he treated his slaves and his pretence of education (Gill, 2007).When Trimalchio excuse himself to the toilet, the freedmen soon discussed about different sort of things such as weather, universal games, education of their children, and the problems they encounter. After Trimalchio finished, he continues to delight them with more dishes. Stories are told about witches, and werewolf. Another guest came, a stonesmason named Habinnas, with his wife and chat with Trimalchios wife about their jewelries. However, Encolpius and his friends are getting bored and irritated and tried to abjure the dinner.The foursome are prevented to escape by a servant but after hearing a sound of horns when Trimalchio tried to portray his funeral, they take flight (Gill, 2007). More adventures followed as the foursome tried to escape by the sea. The view of the dinner is speculated to have happened either in Naples or Pompeii. Petronius tells about freedwoman and it is assumed that most of the freedmen in Satyricon are Greek or Macedonian slaves who have learned Latin without receiving any proper education (Sergius, 2005).