The Satyricon

A readable classic selected for curiosity, substance, and staying power. "The Satyricon" is a Latin work of fiction believed to have been written in the late 1st century AD. This fragmentary Roman novel follows the narrator Encolpius and his young companion Giton through a series of bizarre, erotic, and darkly comic adventures. Blending prose and verse, the surviving sections depict encounters with eccentric characters, sexual escapades, and the infamous dinner party hosted by the vulgar freedman Trimalchio—offering a vivid glimpse into the decadent underbelly of early Imperial Rome.