Petronius
A biographical and reading guide to Petronius, with a route back to the historical list that brought this profile into view.
Life: 1st century CE; conventionally associated with a courtier who died in 66 CE · Ancient author; identity and exact life dates uncertain
About the author
Petronius is the name traditionally attached to the surviving fragments of the Latin Satyrica, a formally playful, episodic work of Roman fiction. Its central pair, Encolpius and Giton, travel through comic reversals, erotic entanglements, and sharp social observation. Scholars often identify the author with the courtier described by Tacitus, but the identification is not certain, so no birth date or settled personal biography can responsibly be supplied.
Selected books & writing
A curated path into the work; titles shown reflect available editions and selected writing, not an exhaustive bibliography.
Sources & further reading
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