by Gaius Petronius (Author), W. C. Firebaugh (Translator)
The Satyricon is a wild and witty ancient Roman novel, believed to have been written by Gaius Petronius in the late first century AD. A satirical romp through ancient Rome, the Satyricon follows the misadventures of Encolpius, a young man with questionable morals, and his attractive teenage companion Giton. The work's frank depictions of sexuality and social dynamics provide unparalleled insight into the underbelly of Roman society. The Satyricon stands out from other Roman texts in its use of a freewheeling mix of styles and tones, its high-brow and low-brow humor, and erotic and decadent scenes. With its episodic structure and roguish protagonists, the Satyricon is often considered an early forerunner of the picaresque novel. It laid the groundwork for later classics like Don Quixote and influenced countless other works of bawdy literature. This edition is based on W. C. Firebaugh's complete and unexpurgated translation, which includes supplements devised by various early scholars and forgers in an attempt to round out the fragmentary story, including the risqu? supplement by Jos? Marchena, which had previously been omitted or printed only in the original Latin. (Firebaugh carefully distinguishes all these supplements from the authentic, original text.) Along with Firebaugh's introduction and notes, this edition includes a brief timeline of the history of Latin literature.