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1007524 Dr. L.

Houghton

Discuss the function of literary allusions in Petronius Dinner at Trimalchios.


Petronius makes use of literary allusion throughout Dinner at Trimalchios to exploit the audiences education of past and contemporary literature by satirising particular texts, authors, contemporary celebrities, or general styles. These are altogether recontextualized in the comic and ironic setting of Trimalchios house. By making allusion to familiar literary genres, such as Virgilian epic and Platos symposium literature, Petronius restructures the epic and satirical genres. For Trimalchio the freedman, his wealth gained from his own self-intuition has enabled him to live the life of a Roman gentleman. This rising social class in Rome during the time of Nero caused friction with the upper classes, and was resented by authors such as Seneca because of their arrogance, decadence, and lack of erudition. Trimalchios self-presentation has also led to the view that the Dinner represents a journey through a labyrinthine underworld. Allusions to literature concerning the life of Nero in the writings of Suetonius enable Petronius to express his discontent at the equestrian status and power that this rising class was enjoying. Petronius makes use of literary allusion in the picking apart of epic vocabulary, meter and motifs, for the reformulation of the epic genre. The argument between Ascyltos and Hermeros ((Petronius, Sat., 6.58) is equivalent to the anger that set the Iliad in motion, likewise setting off this epic story (Connors, 1998, 29). Trimalchio, too, alludes to Odysseus as an allusion of his learning and skills at concealment (Petronius, Sat., 6.39). Petronius also makes use of a Virgilian plot thread as a metaphor for the reformulation of epic. For example, the rewriting of Corinthian bronzes follows the history of Rome, beginning with the Fall of Troy and the Aeneid (Petronius, Sat., 6.50; Connors, 1998, 20-1). Encolpius found the mutilating rendition of the fifth book of the Aeneid by Massa heavily offensive (Petronius, Sat., 68). The character of Daedalus also picks up on the Virgilian plot, with him featuring heavily in Aeneas trip to Cumae in book 6. Obscenity is juxtaposed with epic at Trimalchios. The spectacle of the pastry Priapus being brought in right after Trimalchios garbled rendition of epic narrative (Petronius, Sat. 6.60) highlights the satirical view Petronius took of the obscenities of the new vulgar class of freedmen, comparing the guests with their bulging napkins to Priapus with his expansive paunch (Connors, 1998, 29). Trimalchios behaviour throughout the passage makes a satire out of Senecas recommendations to Lucilius against this sort of gluttony and pleasure (Seneca, Epistles, 1.343). The comic reaction the reader would have towards the mockery of epic literature destroys the epic. Bakhtins (1981, 23) views on the function of laughter, as a destructive tool, letting the reader break open the shell of fear and piety, of reverence to the literature, surrounding the epic, can be seen to apply to Petronius opening epic literature up to an absolutely free investigation. Sullivan (1968, 128) argues that unlike Horace, clearly morally commenting and wholeheartedly satirical, Petronius loses his initial satiric impulse through too much creative empathy and artistic characters. However, it seems instead that Petronius manages to

go beyond merely conventionally satirising epic, and truly opens it up and transforms it into a comic satire, through the fusion of various literary allusions with the ignorance and decadence of Trimalchio and his party. Petronius makes use of literary allusion to structure his satire as well, by making use of pre-existing frameworks of symposium literature, as well as associating Trimalchio with recognizable characters, to appeal to his readers knowledge of his contemporary world and past literature. The parodist Matron begins his description of the extravagance of an Attic meal (Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae, 4.134 D-E), tying into the opening of the Odyssey following the sack of Troy (Homer, 1.1-2), a motif which we have seen Petronius make use of as well part of a Virgilian framework (Petronius, Sat. 6.50). We see the mock funeral of Trimalchios (Petronius, Sat. 6.78), alluding to Paeuvius, a real governor in Syria that would hold his own similarly festive mock funerals (Seneca, Epistles, 1.71).Likewise, one can notice some similarities with the writings of Menippus the Cynic, such as of works concerned with necromancy and wills (Diogenes Laertius, Lives, 6.101). Another allusion made use of for a model for Dinner at Trimalchios is from Horaces Cena Nasidieni. Similarities in the plot structure include the persona of the boastful connoisseur, Trimalchio and Nasideinus, who are both interrupted dramatically by a falling acrobat and awning respectively, while Vibidus and Dama ask for more and stronger drink when Nasidienus and Trimalchio respectively leave the room (Bodel, 1999, 39) As well as these individual examples, Petronius clearly alludes to the standard dinner literature, Platos Symposium, from which the existential concerns and intellectual capabilities of Trimalchio and his friends can be compared (Bodel, 1999, 40). Similarities between the two texts are clear to see, including the consecutive speeches by five guests in their hosts absence, both finish with a sudden entry of strangers (firemen, Sat., 6.78; revellers, Symp. 223), each group with their defender of religious tradition (Ganymede, Sat. 6.44; Phaedrus, Symp. 178-180), their moral cynics (Phileros, Sat. 6.43; Pausanias, Symp.180-185) and the pedantic scientific intellectual (Seleucus, Sat. 6.42; Eryximachus, Symp. 185-188). Alcibiades description of Socrates (Plato, Symp. 215A) is paralleled by Trimalchios sketch of his own life and character (Petronius, Sat. 6.75). However, we can see that in the context of Trimalchios dinner party, with its vulgar, semi-literate and hardly intellectual characters, their self-centred natures imply that Petronius sought to write an anti-Symposium (Bodel, 1999, 40). While Trimalchio and his guests are certainly lautus, they certainly are not democratic and urbanus like Socrates and his sombre guests (Connors, 1998, 128). Petronius also makes ample use of literary allusion of underworld-related literature, suggesting Trimalchios house serves as a home for the dead. Aspects of early Greek comic nekyiai share allusions with Petronius. Since the time of Aristophanes, banquets of the blessed juxtaposes heroicepic visions with food (Bodel, 1994, 240), much like Trimalchios dinner is the background for his morbid charade. The connections between Trimalchios labyrinthine house and various literary allusions to underworld motifs infer that Encolpius visit is a mock-epic katabasis as an umbra (Connors, 1998, 36). Trimalchios chef, Daedalus, highlights the labyrinthine aspect, whilst the quasiCerberus dogs depicted at the entrance of Trimalchios (Petronius, Sat., 6.29) and Puppy during Encolpius and Gitons attempt to flee (Petronius, Sat. 6.72-3), cast these mock epic heroes as Aeneas and the Sibyl in the underworld, similarly buying off the hound (cf. Petronius, Sat. 6.72; Virgil, Aen., 6.417-23) and similarly finding it difficult to escape (cf. the butlers warning Sat. 6.72; downward slope to underworld Aen. 6.126-9). Just as the Virgilian interlude between the two dogs is introduced

by a description of Encolpius inspecting the narrative wallpaintings and Trimalchio narrating the scenes he wants sculpted on his tomb (Petronius, Sat., 6.29, 6.71), Virgil introduces his episode with Aeneas inspecting an image of Daedalus labyrinth sculpted at the doors of the Temple of Apollo at Cumae (Virgil, Aen. 6.20-34). Trimalchio, like Aeneas, is visiting the Sibyl (Petronius, Sat., 6.48), and his house is set on a Greek city on the Campanian coast, perhaps near Cumae and Lake Averus, the site of an ancient cult of the dead and legendary entrance to the underworld (Bodel, 1994, 239). This image of a labyrinthine underworld serves as an allusionary metaphor of Trimalchios own selfcentred lifestyle, but also provides a method for reading the text itself. Like getting lost and finding oneself back at the point of origin to have to start again, Bodel (1999, 45) maintains that the narrative frame creates false senses of conclusion (See Figure 1).

Figure 1: The structure of the Cena Trimalchionis, from Bodel, 1999, 45, figure 2.2. Plato may have once more inspired a model for this, with his humorous comparison of Callias house with Odysseus journey to the underworld (Plato, Protagoras, 315c; Homer, Odyssey, 11.601). It is also no coincidence that Senecas Letters are also preoccupied with death and the proper way to face it. The description of Maecenas, the patron of Virgil and Horace, has many similarities with Trimalchio, as is seen in both of their seeming effeminate personas (cf. Trimalchio being deposited on cushions Sat. 6.32; Seneca Epistles 1.130) and Trimalchio intending to have Maecentatianus carved on his tomb (Petronius, Sat. 6.71). Similarities with Senecas Apocolocyntosis, which concludes with a comic descent to Hades (Apoc. 13-15), are clear. Trimalchios mock-funeral at the conclusion of the story attests to still more contemporary figures, such as Turannius indulging himself in similar morbid practices (Seneca, Brevitate Vitae 20). These all serve to reinforce the theme of freedmans status being inescapable and self-perpetuating (Bodel, 1999, 44). Literary allusion serves to highlight the inaccuracies of Trimalchios erudition, and thus of all freedmen of his mould. The motif of one raw material offensively imitating many things, be it the food coming from Daedalus kitchen (Petronius, Sat. 6.70) or the garbled historic and mythological narratives Trimalchio comes out with (Petronius, Sat. 6.59), serve as recognizable fragments of epic past jumbled together and given new form in Petronius story. Horaces Cena Nasidieni is alluded to

for its model for the vulgar and arrogant host. The lack of sophistication and interest shown in the tasteless comments of Trimalchio on his digestive system (Petronius, Sat. 6.47), alludes to Nasidienus comments on the quality of his own dishes (Connors, 1998, 127). Here, Petronius targets the pretentious hosts habit of lecturing to his guests, his attempts to impress only eliciting scorn from his sophisticated narrator (Bodel, 1999, 39). The excesses of both cause their guests, at first, to suppress laughter, then to lose appetite, and finally to flee the scene. We can infer allusions to Seneca in Petronius prejudices against the freedman class. Trimalchio, like Calvisius, is a wealthy, powerful and arrogant ex-slave. We see many similarities between the characters; both lack erudition in terms of mythology, poetry, or ancient narratives (cf. Seneca Epistles 1.195; Petronius Sat. 6.48, 6.50, 6.52, 6.59), and both have troupes of artistic slaves, literate and able to recite Homer (cf. Seneca Epistles 1.195; Petronius, Sat. 6.59). Senecas advice on the proper relationship between master and slave, as fellow-slaves and comrades under Fortuna (Seneca, Epistles, 1.301) are also seen in Trimalchios stoic humanitarian treatment of his slaves (Petronius, Sat. 6.71). It is the criticisms of modern luxury, however, that Petronius makes use of literary allusions to illustrate. Finally, Petronius makes use of literary allusions in his cynical view of princeps figure. Senecas stoic advice of camaraderie between master and slave is seen to be somewhat unsound, as Petronius exhibits the chaos and bad taste that followed the seating of Trimalchios slaves at the table (Petronius, Sat. 6.70). By treating slaves too as men, Petronius sideswipes Seneca on the equality of man (cf. Petronius, Sat. 6.71; Seneca, Epistles 1.302-3). At the heart of Petroius problem with the freedman class was wealth, money being the target of elite upper-class resentment and snobbery. We can see Petronius shared Aristotles views of this class and their the bad habits owing to lack of education in wealth (Aristotle, Rhetoric, 2.1391a) , the decadent spectacle and indulgence. Bode (1999, 42) argues that Trimalchio aims for the equestrian rank, whose members were notorious for their abundant wealth, but Trimalchios assimilation into a loftier imperial position as princeps is alluded to through many parallels with Nero. The presence of Fortuna with the three Fates alludes to those that are spun at the opening of Neros reign mentioned in Seneca (Apocolocyntosis, 4), as does the storing of Trimalchios beard hair in a golden box (Petronius, Sat. 29), alluding to Nero likewise storing his first shaving hairs (Suetonius, Nero 12). Trimalchios luxurious garments of Tyrian purple allude to Neros prohibition on the wearing of such items (cf. Petronius Sat. 30; Suetonius, Nero 30, 32), yet a golden bracelet is a feature shared by the two princeps (cf. Petronius Sat. 32; Suetonius Nero 6). The references continue, a charioteer engaging to the music of a water organist (Petronius, Sat. 36), an instrument that greatly interested Nero (Suetonius, Nero 41). These allusions reinforce the image of Trimalchio acting above merely equestrian rank, but assuming the posture of princeps., trying to reach a quasi-divine stature as seen in his self-presentation of a deity statue (Petronius, Sat. 6.60). From studying the above, it is clear to see that Petronius made use of allusions to Greek and Roman literature, both ancient and contemporary, to imitate, elaborate, parody and subvert into his own form of satirical symposium literature. Petronius restructured and alluded to traditional epic and banquet genres into his own comic form to express his discontent at the rising vulgarity, status, power, and ignorance of this growing class.

Bibliography
Primary Texts:
Aristotle, Rhetoric, trans. W.R. Roberts (http://rhetoric.eserver.org/aristotle/rhet2-16.html#1391a): Last visited 10/03/2012 Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Athenaeus/4A*.html) : Last visited 10/03/2012 Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, trans. R.D. Hicks (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0258%3Aboo k%3D6%3Achapter%3D8): Last visited 10/03/2012 Homer, The Odyssey, trans. E.V. Rieu (Penguin, 2003) Ovid, Metamorphoses, trans. B. More (http://www.theoi.com/Text/OvidMetamorphoses14.html): Last visited 10/03/2012 Petronius, Satyricon, trans. P.G. Walsh (Oxford World Classics, 2009) Plato, Protagoras, trans. J.A. Arieti and R.M. Barrus (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2010) Plato, Symposium, trans. W. Hamilton (Penguin, 1978) Pliny the Elder, The Natural History, trans. J. Bostock (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0137:book=10:chapt er=41&highlight=magpie): Last visited 10/03/2012 Seneca, Apocolocyntosis, trans. A.P. Bell (http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/apocolocyntosis.html): Last visited 10/03/2012 Seneca, Epistles, trans. R.M. Gummere (http://www.stoics.com/seneca_epistles_book_1.html#%E2%80%98XII1): Last visited 10/03/2012 Seneca, On the Shortness of Life, trans. J.W. Basore (http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/seneca_younger/brev_e.html#20): Last visited 10/03/2012 Suetonius, Nero (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Nero*.html): Last visited 10/03/2012 Virgil, The Aeneid, trans. C.D. Lewis (Oxford, 2008)

Secondary Texts:
Bakhtin, M.M., The dialogic imagination: four essays (University of Texas Press, 2004) Bodel, J. Trimalchios Underworld, in J. Tatum (ed.), The Search for the Ancient Novel (Baltimore, 1994), 237-59 Bodel, J. The Cena Trimalchionis, in H. Hofmann (ed.), Latin Fiction: The Latin Novel in Context (London, 1999), 38-5139 Connors, C. Petronius the Poet: Verse and Literary Tradition in the Satyricon (Cambridge, 1998) Sullivan, J.P. The Satyricon of Petronius: A Literary Study (Faber and Faber, 1968)

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