Volume 19, 2007 - Brown University

Giton, Pederasty and Epic Self-Perception
Matthew Nicholson
In the Satyricon, Petronius depicts a series of events in the life of the hapless
narrator, Encolpius. By and large these incidents consist of vague social misunderstandings
that unilaterally escalate into full-scale debacles, which necessitate
Encolpius’ hasty flight into similar disasters. Besides Encolpius, only the
curiously subservient Giton appears in all extant portions, in which, more often
than not, he attracts the attentions of one hopeful erastes after another. This perpetual
cycle (i.e. the problems caused by the affections of these lascivious
gentlemen) drives the narrative and provides the typically hazy transitions from
one scene to the next. But to assert that Giton serves merely to advance the plot
of the novel would be to ignore his more subtle and important role. To discern
this narrative function, however, we must first turn back to Encolpius.
Upon even the most cursory reading of the Satyricon, one notices Encolpius’
proclivity to interpret the events of his life through the lens of classical
literature. Hardly a chapter elapses in which he does not invoke the labors of
Aeneas through Virgil’s epic, the rage of Achilles as set down in the Iliad, or the
imprisonment of Theseus in the labyrinth. And in almost every instance Giton is
either a participant in, or catalyst of, this epic self-perception. Though it is difficult
to gauge Petronius’ complete intent as concerns Giton from the fragmentary
text, in what remains of the work this superbly beautiful young man functions as
Encolpius’ link to the epic past. Thus Giton unites various seemingly independent
mythical overtones employed by the narrator. And as an approximation of a
perfect Greek eramenos he facilitates Encolpius’ desire to affirm his participation
in heroic society; the repeated coincidence of mythical and classical
allusion with pedophilic interactions demonstrates Giton’s critical role as
conduit into legend.
Even at the very inception of what survives of the novel, we find the
characters already imbuing their world with classical import, which appropriately
centers around Giton. Having returned wearily from a debate through
the labyrinthine cityscape, Encolpius yearns “to bring back the old method with
Giton,” which implies (though vaguely, to be sure) Encolpius’ desire to return to
a state of unfettered classical pederasty (Ch. 10, sec. 7). The historical and
classical atmosphere intensifies when Giton describes his attempted rape by
Ascyltos, Encolpius’ fellow con-artist: “He began to want to rend me of my
honor, and when I started shouting, he drew his sword and said, ‘If you are
Luctretia, you’ve found your Tarquin.’” (Ch. 9, sec 4-5).
47