Satire in Petronius' Satyricon

This is a paper written for an ancient comedy class in the Classical Studies department in response to the question, is "Dinner With Trimalchio" (from Petronius' Satyricon) satire?

Satire is a literary form which utilizes irony and often humor in an implicit way to criticize and denounce vice, folly, or a social situation which the author believes needs to be changed in some way. “Dinner With Trimalchio” from Petronius’ Satyricon is often referred to as satire, but there is some debate over whether it truly falls into this category.

It is certainly true that the episode is humorous and ironic. Trimalchio is quite easily compared to the Roman Emperor Nero, who was famous for his extravagance. This character is portrayed as a man who believes a little too strongly in his own worth, to the point where his guests are disgusted with his self righteous speeches. Every character in the episode, even those who complain about the price of bread and the sad state of the society, fails to hesitate when presented with rich foods and wine, and their greed causes them to bear the seemingly endless speeches of their host. Human vice and folly are abundant, and presented in such a way as to be amusing to the reader.

But where is the criticism? Certainly these traits are pointed at and laughed about, but nowhere in the text does Petronius suggest that anything should be changed. Indeed, if such criticism is present, it is extremely implicit. While the text certainly can be read as a critique of the behavior it presents, the reader cannot be sure if the author sees any reason to change it, or if he is merely laughing at a society which he gladly makes himself a part of.

In fact, the real difficulty in determining the answer to this question is the lack of a definite identity for the author. It is widely believed, but not proven, that the author was Gaius Petronius, who held the office of “arbiter of tastes” under Nero, and was a close friend to the emperor (vi). This Petronius was known for his extravagance, gluttony, and sloth – all of the attributes, in fact, which are mocked in “Dinner With Trimalchio.” If this man truly is the author of this piece, then it seems next to impossible that he desires to make any change to this condition of society. It is possible that he seeks to parody Nero in the character of Trimalchio, but if he were truly denouncing the emperor, he was also denouncing himself, as he is equally guilty of these vices.

It is also possible that a completely different Petronius wrote this work, in which case we have no information on him. Such an alternative author could very well have been denouncing the social climate and painting the emperor as an overzealous, gluttonous fool through the character of Trimalchio, and using the dinner guests to represent greedy, self-serving aristocrats and officials. The tale can certainly be read with this tone in mind.

And so the final conclusion is, in fact, inconclusive. We as modern readers can only speculate as to whether the work is intended as criticism or not. If so, then it is a fantastic satire. If not, then perhaps the title really does refer only to the raunchy tales of satyrs, and the novel was meant only as crude, humorous entertainment.