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Gaius Petronius Arbiter (ca. 27–66) was a Roman courtier during the reign Nero. He is speculated to be the author of the Satyricon, a satirical novel believed to have been written during the Neronian age.
lass="link1" onMouseover='showByLink("m1127457",this)' onMouseout='hide("m1127457")'href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Tacitus">Tacitus, Plutarch and Pliny the Elder describe Petronius as the elegantiae arbiter, "judge of elegance" in the court of the emperor Nero. He was a member of the senatorial class who devoted himself to a life of pleasure, whose relationship to Nero was apparently akin to that of a fashion advisor.
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Quotations
A man who is always ready to believe what is told him will never do well.
Sec. 43
Abiit ad plures.
Translation: He has joined the great majority., Sec. 42
Beauty and wisdom are rarely conjoined.
Sec. 94
Horatii curiosa felicitas.
Translation: The studied spontaneity of Horace., Sec. 118
Litterae thesaurum est.
Translation: Education is a treasure. , Sec. 46
One good turn deserves another.
Sec. 45
Encyclopedia
Gaius Petronius Arbiter (ca. 27–66) was a Roman courtier during the reign Nero. He is speculated to be the author of the Satyricon, a satirical novel believed to have been written during the Neronian age.
Life
Tacitus, Plutarch and Pliny the Elder describe Petronius as the elegantiae arbiter, "judge of elegance" in the court of the emperor Nero. He was a member of the senatorial class who devoted himself to a life of pleasure, whose relationship to Nero was apparently akin to that of a fashion advisor. He served as consul in the year 62 AD. Tacitus records that he was eventually forced to commit suicide after being embarrassed in front of Nero.
None of the ancient sources give any further detail about his life, or mention that he was a writer. However a medieval manuscript, written c. 1450 AD, of the Satyricon credited a Titus Petronius as the author of the original work. Traditionally this is reference is linked with Petronius Arbiter, since the novel appears to have been written or at least set during his lifetime. The link, however, remains speculative and disputed.
In fiction
Petronius, usually assumed to be the author of the Satyricon, appears or is referenced in several works of fiction:
- Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel Quo Vadis and its adaptations (but see below for the film), where C. Petronius is the preferred courtier of Nero, using his wit to adulate and mock him at the same time. He is horrified at Nero's burning of Rome, and eventually commits suicide to escape both Nero's antics and his anticipated execution.
- in Jesse Browner's novel The Uncertain Hour, which recounts Petronius' final banquet and suicide (as told by Tacitus, ).
- In the 1951 film of Quo Vadis, Petronius is portrayed by Leo Genn, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
- In the 2001 film of Quo Vadis, Petronius is portrayed by Boguslaw Linda. It was the first Polish adaptation of Sienkiewicz's novel.
In recent times, a popular quote on reorganization is often (but spuriously) attributed to a Gaius Petronius. In one version, it reads:
We trained hard ... but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.
See also
External links
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