This
paper addresses Petronius' work, "Satyricon", in respect to the
values of the Roman people that manifests in the characters
and in the setting of this novel. Through examining the content of "The Satyricon", it can be concluded that the culture of ancient Rome was filled with individuals who prided themselves more on appearances than substance, where the characters in the "Satyricon" are willing to sacrifice their personal values in
order to achieve greater levels of wealth and social prominence. This
paper investigates the character of Trimalchio in order to demonstrate this thesis.