Petronius Arbiter and His Codicil

Ireneusz Łuć

Abstract


The aim of this article is analyzing the life and achievements of Petronius the Arbiter, who was a Roman aristocrat, writer and trusted member of the court of Nero, an emperor of Rome. In the last two centuries Petronius the Arbiter’s tragic, suicidal death has grown into a symbol and phenomenon of culture. However, there is a clear dissonance between what about Petronius Arbitrator appears in the historical evidences, and what about him himself - specially about his suicide - can be found in contemporary literature. Therefore, the intention of the author of this article is not only an attempt to verify the Petronius Arbiter’ biography - and in particular his path of career - but, once again, the analysis of the reasons that led him to commit suicide.


Keywords


Petronius Arbiter; Nero; cursus honorum; Satiricon; suicide

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/ks.2019.7.2.83-94
Date of publication: 2020-11-19 19:44:12
Date of submission: 2020-06-13 02:29:22


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