Expert: Maria - 4/30/2009

Question
Hello Maria!
Of the many ancient latin books lost to time, what chance is there of ever recovering them? Part of Livy was found in the 1980s and some classical works come to light every century, so is it reasonable to expect that one day we may discover the rest of the Satyricon etc.?

Answer
Hello,

Unfortunately I think that it’s not so easy to discover the rest of  The  Satyricon attributed to Gaius Petronius (ca. 27–66 AD), the so-called “Elegantiae Arbiter ” (Tacitus, Annals, book 16, chapter 18) in the court of the emperor Nero.

So I believe we must be content with the surviving portions of this satyrical novel which gives as a cross-section of what everyday life must have been like for the lower classes during the early Roman Empire.

Anyway, we can hope  that such a discovery happens!

Best regards,
Maria