Theatrum Arbitri: Theatrical Elements in the Satyrica of Petronius (Mnemosyne, Bibliotheca Classica Batava Supplementum) (Mnemosyne Supplements)

This text 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's "Satyrica". The theatrical assessment of this work 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 work. 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.