Petronius in Roman Biography

Pe-tro'nI-us, [Fr. Petrone, pi'tRon',] or, more fully, Petro'nius Ar'biter, a licentious Latin writer, supposed to have lived in the reign of Nero. He described the vices of his time in a satire or novel, in mingled prose and verse, entitled "Satyricon," fragments of which are extant. His style is classical, and the work displays much talent, but is extremely licentious. The author of this is supposed to be identical with Petronius, a refined voluptuary who figured at the court of Nero as arbiter elegantia, (umpire of fashion and taste,) and who killed himself in 66 A.D. See Tacitus, " Annales," book xvi. : J. C. von Orei.i.i, "Lectiones Petronianae." 1836; Dunlop, " History of Fiction;" " Nouvelle Biographie Ge'ne'rale."