Arbitri Nugae

This book aims to provide a comprehensive inquiry into the short metrical intermezzos inserted in the prose narrative of Petronius’ . The text of each poem has been thoroughly investigated; in addition, special attention has been devoted to their function in the context and to the aspects connecting Petronius with the literature and culture of his time. Numerous contacts with other ancient authors have been pointed out to illustrate Petronius’ attitude to the cultural and literary heritage on the one hand, and the character of his own work on the other.

Aldo Setaioli is professor emeritus of Latin Language and Literature at the University of Perugia (Italy). He has published widely in the area of Latin literature, never losing sight of Greek antecedents and devoting special attention to such authors as Seneca, Virgil and his commentators, Horace, Petronius, and several others, as well as to afterlife beliefs in the Greek and Roman world down to late antiquity.

«(...) a volume no Petronian scholar will wish to be without. (...) this volume regularly offers the fullest account of the shorter poems, in terms usually accessible even to advanced undergraduates. As such, it should be a most welcome addition to every serious classical library.» (Niall W. Slater, Bryn Mawr Classical Review)

Contents: Petronius’ poems - their function in the context and the light they shed on extended portions of the – Attitude to the models – Parody of serious literature – Character and aims of Petronius’ work. Inhaltsverzeichnis