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Analysis Of Pompeii In The Satyricon

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The Satyricon has been dated to the first century CE, in which Pompeii was a Roman city and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius happened in 79 CE. Due to the mentions of Pompeii in The Satyricon without mention of the eruption, it can be assumed that the novel was written before the eruption and that some of the Roman lifestyles can be applied to Pompeii as it still stood and was partially Romanized during this text. Although this Roman work is a fictional satire, it still illuminates what social parties, house design, slave relations, women’s roles, religious beliefs, etc. may have been like in the final days of Pompeii. The excerpt analyzed from The Satyricon tells the events that unfolded at a feast hosted by Trimalchio, a prominent man …show more content…

Punishment of slaves is evident throughout the section of Trimalchio’s Feast for a slave who dropped a dish and a chef who forgot to gut the pig (Petronius 25, 39). The roles these slaves have are typical of those in a home according to George, and other slave tasks included personal hygiene which is glimpsed the guests feet are cleaned when they enter the dining area (Petronius 23). George also explains how slaves were treated as inanimate objects and not fully human; however, Trimalchio later exclaims, “‘My dear people’ he said, ‘slaves are human beings too… In fact, I’m setting them all free in my will’” (Petronius 58). This contradiction shows how slaves may have been treated differently in each household and how complex the relationship between master and slave seem. It also shows how the chance of manumission was the main method to keep slaves in line (George 540). Trimalchio’s feast is a large affair and occurs in many spaces throughout his household, allowing a glimpse in possible uses for different rooms. The story’s narrator describes the room right off of the entrance which would be the atrium in the “atrium-house” type. He points of a ‘Beware of the Dog’ which is seen in many Pompeian houses including the House of the Surgeon (Petronius 22). Additionally there is a mural, a shrine, and a gold casket which does seem to fit with the evidence Allison found suggesting the atrium was mostly décor used to impress

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