THE SATYRICON PETRONIUS TRANSLATED

The Satyricon Petronius Translated by William Arrow smith

The Satyricon Petronius Translated by William Arrow smith

Thesis statement:

When they arrive at the house a notice proclaims that any slave leaving the house without permission will receive a hundred lashes

Introduction

Ancient Rome has become a legend; the ways of life of the great empire have been fascinating people for hundreds of years. The people and their culture was very interesting, especially for the time. It is described with, ".the Romans ads people were hardly given to lives of seclusion or contemplation. Their disposition was gregarious, their pleasures were urban, and their political and business lives were centered in the open meeting and the market place"

Rome life consisted of much entertainment. With so many people in Rome, and so many being paid for by the government, there were many facilities built to keep these people occupied. Public buildings made sure that the common people would participate in the grandeur of the city. Romans were fascinated with processions: "Citizens could spend long hours in the city's expensive barbershops or at lavish, all-night banquets”. The center of roman life was the Roman Forum - this great open was the site of much activity. It was lined with shops, temples, and government buildings which attracted merchant's buyers, spectators and politicians. The coliseum is one of the most well known and best preserved pieces of Roman life. It was the cite of much of the entertainment for Roman people, of all kinds. "The opening ceremony lasted 100 days" (Rome: The Ultimate Empire). Unbelievable things were done at the Colusseum; "10,000 wild animals were slaughtered for the sake of entertainment" (Rome: The Ultimate Empire).

Rome was a very civilized society and therefore had a civilized class structure. Roman citizenship was very highly prized. At the top of ...