Petronius facts for kids

Gaius Petronius Arbiter (born around 27 AD, died around 66 AD) was an important Roman official. He lived during the time of Emperor Nero. Many people believe he wrote the famous book called Satyricon. This book is a satirical novel, which means it uses humor and exaggeration to criticize society. It was likely written when Nero was emperor (from 54 to 68 AD).

Petronius is also a main character in the historical novel Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz. You might have seen him played by Leo Genn in the 1951 movie based on the book.

Life of Petronius

Petronius might have been born and educated in Massalia, which is now Marseille in France. Important Roman writers like Tacitus, Plutarch, and Pliny the Elder called him the elegantiae arbiter. This means "judge of elegance" or "arbiter of taste." He was like a fashion and style advisor in Emperor Nero's court.

Petronius served as a suffect consul in 62 AD. A suffect consul was a high-ranking official who took over if a main consul left office. Later, he became part of the senatorial class. These were wealthy and powerful Roman citizens.

The historian Tacitus wrote about Petronius in his book Annals. However, ancient writers did not mention that Petronius was a writer. A very old book from around 1450 said that a "Titus Petronius" wrote the Satyricon. Many believe this was Petronius Arbiter. The book seems to be set during his lifetime. Still, we are not completely sure if he was indeed the author.

Petronius as a Writer

Petronius was very good at creating characters in his book, Satyricon. One famous character is Trimalchio. Petronius described his characters in great detail. He wrote about how they spoke, behaved, and looked. This was different from other ancient Roman books. Back then, writers usually focused more on the story's plot. Characters were not as important.

Petronius also used many specific allusions in his novel. Allusions are indirect references to people or events. These references suggest that the Satyricon was written during Nero's time. They also show it was meant for people living then, especially Nero's friends and even Nero himself.

The Satyricon is a Menippean satire. This means it makes fun of many things using humor. Petronius wrote it mainly to entertain people. It does not try to teach a moral lesson or make big changes. However, his writing helps us understand Roman society and its customs. He tried to make his stories seem real. He did this by using allusions and detailed descriptions of people and their actions. Some people think that Petronius's character Trimalchio was meant to be like Emperor Nero.

Petronius's Death

Petronius was very important in Nero's court. This made others jealous of him. Tigellinus, who was the commander of the emperor's guard, became jealous. He accused Petronius of treason, which means being disloyal to the emperor.

Petronius was arrested in Cumae in 65 AD. But he did not wait for Nero to sentence him. Instead, he chose to take his own life.

Pliny the Elder, another Roman writer, wrote about Petronius's death. He said that Petronius broke his expensive wine cup. He did not want Emperor Nero to get it after he died. This cup was very valuable, costing 300,000 sesterces.

See also

• Asteroid 3244 Petronius, an asteroid named after the satirist.
• Supplements to the Satyricon