Petronius

Question 1

Who is the narrator in this satire?

Answer 1

Encolpius

Question 2

What is the overall plot?

Answer 2

Description of a dinner party held by Trimalchio <— he is trying very hard to seem cultured and important, but is ignorant
Trimalchio is a rich man with poor manners who holds ostentatious parties with a lot of (planned) drama

Question 3

When you enter Trimalchio’s house, what do you see?

Answer 3

A huge dog drawn on the wall (with BEWARE OF THE DOG written above it)
The rest of the wall depicts:
- slave market with price tags
- Trimalchio holding Mercury’s staff + entering Rome led by Minerva
- Mercury carrying Trimalchio to a lofty tribunal <— Fortune + 3 Fates were there

Question 4

What was in the ‘large cupboard’ near the entrance to Trimalchio’s house?

Answer 4

(It acted like a shrine)
Silver Lares
Marble statue of Venus
Golden casket
ALSO the master’s beard

Question 5

What did the porter tell Encolpius about the ‘pictures in the middle’?

Answer 5

This was when Encolpius first entered the house
He asks what pictures were in the middle of the cupboard/shrine, porter replies:
- The Iliad + The Odyssey
- Laenas’ show of gladiators

Question 6

What was notable about the dining room doorposts?

Answer 6

Rods + axes attached to them
Lowest part ended like a bronze beak of a ship -> had an inscription = GIVEN TO GAIUS TRIMALCHIO, PRIEST OF THE COLLEGE OF AUGUSTUS, FROM CINNAMUS HIS TREASURER
Two notices were fixed on each doorpost:
On one = inscription -> ON THE 30TH AND 31ST DECEMBER OUR GAIUS EATS OUT
On the other = the course of the moon + representation of 7 heavenly bodies + good and troublesome days (superstition)

Question 7

NOTE - HAVE DONE SYNOPSIS (do page by page quick summarys then do quotes)