Petronius Arbiter, also known as Gaius or Titus Petronius Niger, was a 
Roman writer who served under Emperor Nero. Petronius is believed 
to have written Satyricon  (circa 60 A.D.), a satirical romance in prose 
verse. This colorful story of life in the 1st century A.D., was influential 
in the later development of the picaresque novel in European fiction. 
Satyricon , only parts of which survived, served as the basis for 
Federico Fellini’s 1969 film.