Theatrum Arbitri is a literary study dealing with the possible influence of Roman comic drama (comedies of Plautus and Terence, theatre of the Greek and Roman mimes, and fabula Atellana) on the surviving fragments of Petronius' Satyrica. The theatrical assessment of this novel is carried out at the levels of plot-construction, characterization, language, and reading of the text as if it were the narrative equivalent of a farcical staged piece with the theatrical structure of a play produced before an audience. The analysis follows the order of each of the scenes in the novel. The reader will also find a brief general commentary on the less discussed scenes of the Satyrica, and a comprehensive account of the theatre of the mimes and its main features.

"The Ancient Economy holds pride of place among the handful of genuinely influential works of ancient history. This is Finley at the height of his remarkable powers and in his finest role as historical iconoclast and intellectual provocateur. It should be required reading for every student of pre-modern modes of production, exchange, and consumption."--Josiah Ober, author of Political Dissent in Democratic Athens

Of all the stories narrated, "Trimalchio" tells the story from beginning to end, though in bits and pieces; that is, in the fragments that have survived. When readers think of a dinner banquet in ancient times, what comes to mind is Plato's Symposium, in which Plato treats his readers to a discussion of the most delicious intellectual delicacies, such as the theme of love. In contrast what one finds in "Trimalchio," is a dinner of the most delicious culinary delicacies, and a dearth of intellectual discussion. The guests at the dinner table consist of gabby table-talkers who delight in conversing about the most trivial themes-supernatural tales- which they cap with obscene and vulgar behavior, such as the mistreatment of slaves and women. The nouveau riche Trimalchio, holds the dinner party at his grossly expensive estate, where a retinue of slaves, cooks, and servants, serve the guests with exotic, abundant, extravagant, and wasteful dishes. Given that F. Scott Fitzgerald's recreates such extravagant parties in his novel The Great Gatsby, he initially named the novel, Trimalchio. While both, Petronius and Fitzgerald, appear to have been concerned with portraying the moral decay that accompanies the noveau riche, Petronius' book manages to capture the spirit of ancient Rome, through its low characters; Fitzgerald fails to capture the spirit of New York in the 1920s. This selection presents only one story of the Satyricon: "Dinner at Trimalchio's." The reader should not expect all the stories of the Satyricon.

Dining was an important social occasion in the classical world. Scenes of drinking and dining decorate the wall paintings and mosaic pavements of many Roman houses. They are also painted in tombs and carved in relief on sarcophagi and on innumerable smaller grave monuments. Drawing frequently upon ancient literature inscriptions as well as archaeological evidence, this book examines the visual and material evidence for dining through Roman antiquity. Richly illustrated, Roman Banqueting offers the fullest and varied picture of the role of the banquet in Roman life.

Explores the cuisine of the Mediterranean in ancient times from 750 B.C. to A.D. 450.