Sat. 79-110

The Satyrica of Petronius, one of the fictional key texts in ancient literature, have been the focus of international research since the 1960s. It is all the more surprising, therefore, that modern commentators have only concentrated on the central part of the work, the famous Cena Trimalchionis. This defect is now remedied with Habermehl's commentary on the especially neglected second half of the work (a second volume, on Sat. 111'141, is scheduled to follow in about two years' time). The commentary provides the reader with all the necessary apparatus for understanding the language, the factual elements and the action of the text. In addition, it includes critical discussion of the novel as an exemplar, and thus renders a contribution of fundamental importance to the interpretation of the Satyrica in their entirety, which are still the subject of much controversy.

Peter Habermehl, Freie Universität Berlin & Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin.