56 pages • 1-hour read
The Satyricon
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Character Analysis
Encolpius
Encolpius is the protagonist and narrator of the text. Because we only have access to have fragments of Petronius’s original text, and the fragments that survive seem to come from somewhere in the middle of the text, readers do not have access to the traditional arc of character development. We do not know what Encolpius was like at the beginning of the story, or where he ends up by the conclusion. Encolpius is an adult man of indeterminate age; he seems to be juxtaposed both against the youth of Giton, and the much older figure of Eumolpus.
Encolpius is also wealthy enough to own a slave and to travel. He is educated enough that at some point, he and Ascyltus were able to make a living from teaching. Encolpius’s class and social standing are important because they shape the lens through which he sees other characters; for example, as a freeborn Roman citizen and educated man, Encolpius is repulsed by Trimalchio’s pretentious displays of wealth. Encolpius does experience different class status when he twice must disguise himself as a slave: first, aboard the ship, and then in Croton. In the first episode, Encolpius reveals his vanity by lamenting his “repulsively cropped head and […] eyebrows as hairless as my forehead” (97). Later, when he experiences impotence, Encolpius will also reveal his vanity about his sexual prowess, lamenting the loss of “that part of my body which once made me an Achilles” (129).
Much of the narrative focuses on Encolpius’s perception of external events and characters, rather than his internal life. However, Encolpius experiences a strong sense of hurt and disappointment when characters he cares about, such as Ascyltus and Giton, betray him. When he finds himself betrayed and abandoned, he “reflected on being deserted and humiliated, […] and thumped my grief-wracked breast and groaned repeatedly” (69). Encolpius seems to sincerely love Giton, since he readily takes him back, proclaiming that “though you deserted me, I still love you” (79), and when it seems certain that both he and Giton are going to die in the shipwreck, he implores Giton to “kiss me while you can” (106). Other than these limited emotional bonds, Encolpius does not display any ambitions or goals other than avoiding getting in trouble for past misdeeds, and he does not display much growth or complexity as a character.
Giton
Giton is a handsome young man who is enslaved; his charm and striking physical appearance is highlighted when Eumolpus immediately remarks upon seeing him that “this is going to be a good day” (80). He is initially owned by Tryphaena and is favored and spoiled by his mistress due to his handsome appearance. Encolpius is also attracted to him and steals him away; Giton spends most of the novel as Encolpius’s slave, although his ownership is challenged by Ascyltus. Because of his status as a slave, Giton is sometimes presented as a passive object who can be passed around like property, and who lacks agency and the ability to make his own decisions. For example, when Ascyltus and Encolpius begin arguing over who owns Giton, Ascyltus proposes that they cut Giton up in pieces, and describes how he intends to “hack off my share with the sword” (68). This moment dehumanizes Giton, highlighting his status as a slave and representing him an object rather than a human being who could easily die from the injuries inflicted on him.
There are, however, notable moments where Giton is more active and assertive. When Ascyltus and Encolpius give Giton the choice of who he wants to stay with, he initially chooses Ascyltus, and then later reverses that choice; his ability to act without “even paus[ing] to reflect, to show signs of hesitation” (68) reveals that Giton can act as a free agent. Giton can make calculated and strategic decisions about what he thinks will be best for him, and because of the affection Encolpius feels for him, Giton gets to effectively choose his own master, which contrasts with the powerlessness more typically associated with slavery. Onboard the ship, Giton also openly objects to Eumolpus’s plan to try to disguise their identities by feigning different ethnicities and is ultimately the one who cleverly stops all the fighting by threatening to cut off his genitals. Although these moments hint at greater complexity in Giton’s character, the text does not provide any insight into Giton’s internal thoughts and feelings, and his entire representation is filtered through the biased perspective of his owner, Encolpius. Giton offers an example of how marginalized figures such as slaves often do not have their voices presented in the historical record.
Ascyltus
Ascyltus begins the text as the friend and sidekick of Encolpius but becomes his antagonist and romantic rival. Ascyltus is another adult man who is a travelling companion to Encolpius; he also seems to be relatively well-educated, since Encolpius mentions at one point that they have “both gone through school” (8). It is not revealed how Ascyltus and Encolpius met or began travelling together but they have clearly had some adventures together, and Encolpius seems to feel quite a bit of affection for him. Ascyltus seems to be cold and primarily self-interested. He unabashedly attempts to rape, and then seduce Giton, even though he knows that Encolpius is in love with, and jealous of, his young paramour. Giton remarks on Ascyltus having told him “you have met your Tarquin” (7), alluding to an infamous rapist, and revealing that Ascyltus had no qualms about violating Giton’s consent.
Ascyltus is willing to betray and sell out his friend and seems to be a crueler master, since Giton quickly wants to return to Encolpius. When Giton pleads with Encolpius to take him back, he refers to Ascyltus as a “blood-stained brigand” (79), providing some insight into Ascyltus’s rough and violent character. Although he is a significant character in the first part of the narrative, Ascyltus fades out of the narrative after parting ways with Encolpius and he is essentially replaced by Eumolpus.
Trimalchio
Trimalchio is a minor but memorable character. Only appearing appears in one chapter of The Satyricon, Trimalchio is a former slave who has been legally freed and who has also become extremely wealthy; as a dinner guest explains to Encolpius, Trimalchio “has oodles of money” (27). Trimalchio is anxious to show off his wealth, integrate into the world of the social elite, and appear cultured and urbane. However, Trimalchio is overly showy and vulgar in how he displays his wealth and becomes a figure of ridicule rather than an impressive one. Trimalchio’s showy nature is highlighted through his garish clothing and jewelry; he is described wearing “a muffler he had thrust a napkin with a broad purple stripe and fringes dangling from it all round” (24), revealing his embarrassing attempt to imitate the stately dress of an imperial senator.
Trimalchio is also uncultured, dull-witted, crude, and often makes embarrassing errors while trying to appear intelligent. For example, during the dinner Trimalchio refers to having silver cups featuring the motif of “Cassandra killing her sons” (41). This mistake shows that Trimalchio lacks even a basic knowledge of mythology and history. Cassandra was a Trojan princess who was ignored when she accurately prophesied the fall of the city. She never had any children. Instead, it was Medea who murdered her own children as an act of revenge upon her unfaithful spouse. Trimalchio is a flat and static character; his lack of development might be related to his brief appearance in the narrative, but he is also portrayed as such a ridiculous character that it is unlikely he would ever develop, grow, or improve no matter what events happened to him.
Eumolpus
Eumolpus is a secondary character who is introduced in the second half of the narrative, effectively stepping into the role of sidekick after Encolpius and Ascyltus part ways. Eumolpus is an elderly man, who is usually shabbily dressed, and somewhat bumbling in nature, but also charismatic; Encolpius describes him as having “a look of concentration on his face which offered a hint of greatness” (71). Eumolpus is a poet and intellectual, and often breaks into poetry and annoys those around him. Eumolpus presents himself as very virtuous, in contrast to the corrupt world around him, claiming to prefer a life of learning and modesty. However, Eumolpus is clearly just as lecherous as the other characters, since he openly tells a story about seducing a young boy, takes an immediate and lustful interest in Giton, and has sex with the young daughter of a fortune hunter during his time in Croton.
Eumolpus is also not above trying to scheme to acquire wealth, since he is the one who readily concocts a plan to take advantage of the fortune hunters in Croton. He tells his companions that “such means of getting rich were quite attractive to him” (111), despite his earlier claims to be honest and modest. Despite this lechery, avarice, and his tendency to be boring and pedantic, Eumolpus seems to be mostly a kindhearted character and one of the few to display loyalty. He forgives Encolpius and Giton, helps them to escape from Ascyltus, and then earnestly tries to defend them when chaos breaks out aboard the ship. Encolpius describes how Eumolpus “sought to prevent those threatening brutes from attacking us” (97), and in a world where most individuals are willing to sell out or betray their friends, Eumolpus’s loyalty is notable.
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