The Satyricon is one of the stranger books on this list. It is unique and unconventional, a satire with characters based on real people completely free of moralizing and brave given the target was the court of the emperor Nero.
Gaius Petronius was Nero's advisor in matters of luxury and extravagance -- his unofficial title was arbiter elegantiae. (Petronius is occasionally known as Petronius Arbiter). His job was to be a personal buyer and advisor to the Emperor – his life was one of parties and banquets – subjects that would become the main topics for his satire. Apparently, Petronius was a free spirit who possessed a lack of self-consciousness, a loose tongue, and an attitude. Nero was content to allow Petronius free reign with his wit and attitude for some time. However Nero’s patience only ran so far and Petronius finally fell from favour and was forced to commit suicide. However, before his death he got off one last shot at the emperor and lampooned Nero in his will and even sent the emperor a copy.
Nero was certainly one of the more colourful Emperors of Rome. Capricious, vain, violent and self absorbed, Nero fancied himself as artist, musician, architect a great sponsor of the arts especially theatre and literature. Life in Nero’s court was one of leisure, immorality, excess, extravagance, ambition, intrigue and fear.

The Satyricon
The Satyricon is one of the first books to touch on the lives of ordinary people and small time life. Yet, while the book is set in the small house of Trimalchio in the minor city of Pompeii, it clearly is a parody of Nero’s court in Rome. Its characters are mostly of Greek or Near Eastern origin and are probably based on real people, which gives them both a realistic and vibrant feel.
The Satyricon was probably written around 61 AD although it didn’t appear in printed book formt until 1664. The book was origninally a very long work, although today we only have fragments. The scene called The Cena is one of the longest sections and has survived intact. Sections were probably performed by Petronius at banquets and parties.
As the name suggests The Satyricon is a satire. The word "satire" may come from the word satura, which means a medley, or may come from the mythical rude and obnoxious goat-like satyr. No one or nothing is spared by Petronius satire but he refuses to moralize or offer a commentary oh his victims.  
The Satyricon is actually a Menippean satire --  a genre, characterized by a humorous discussion of philosophy in alternating prose and verse. In the Satyricon we find both proverbs and verse, with varied levels of language from the ribald to the very poetic.
The Satyricon is set in Campania, near Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius. In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. But the discovery of their remains in the 20th Century allows us to see the city pretty much as Petronius describes.
The book was made into a famous film by Frederico Fellini in 1969 who maintained the fragmentary feel of the extant work in such a way that actors even ended scenes in mid sentence.