Follow the young, naïve, and curious Encolpius as he winds his way through Rome in the oldest surviving ancient Roman novel! Our hapless "hero" confronts the guile and treachery of Rome's shadiest denizens in this Menippean satire, running into thieves, impotence, sexual voracity, drunkenness, and general debauchery along the way. Join Encolpius at the absurdly wealthy Trimalchio's home for a bizarre and interminable dinner party full of questionable characters from every corner of Roman society. What enticing or disgusting delights will find him along the way? This notoriously absurd, funny, and occasionally horrifying work will allow us to explore issues of class, status, slavery, sexuality, and narratology. Petronius' work gives "novel" insight into the cultural phenomena of his day using Latin full of colloquialisms, misunderstandings, and eclectic vocabulary geared towards diverse social interaction. |