The Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter

"It is not enough to say that "The Satyricon" depicts the degeneracy of Roman life under Nero; that it is a consummate tale of roguery; that it is an essentially moral commentary on evil and hypocrisy. It is all these and more; it is a supreme work of art. It ranks with Gargantua and Pentagruel, Don Quixote, Gulliver's Travels and Joyce's Ulysses as landmarks of European writing." -- Dust jacket flaps.