Wolves and Folklore: a Study of Petronius' Satyricon 62

Abstract

The central concern of this thesis is to provide a detailed discussion of the folkloristic aspects of Petronius' Satyricon 62, in which the freedman Niceros relates his supposed encounter with a werwolf. Schuster's study of the two tales told at Trimalchio's banquet 1 Schuster, M. Der Werwolf und die Hexen Wiener Studien 48 (1930) pp.149-178 is of value, but requires revision to take account of the more recently published scholarship on topics which have a direct bearing on aspects of the werwolf narrative. It is, therefore, the aim of this dissertation to review Schuster's commentary and to extend it where appropriate. Before broaching the main subject, three topics of relevance to the central concern are studied. The significance of the wolf to the Romans is investigated and the prominent role of the wolf in the foundation myth is discussed. The concept of shape-shifting and the development of the werwolf superstition are treated, and it is demonstrated that the werwolf belief is but one facet of a world-wide tradition concerning the transformation of a man to an animal. The genre of Niceros' narrative is established by contrasting it with another instance of a man to animal metamorphosis, that of Lykaon to a wolf. It becomes evident that Niceros' story is a legend; a motif analysis is used to highlight the differences between the two tales. Subsequently, the Satyricon 62 is discussed in detail, with attention focused on significant aspects of the story. The final chapter summarizes the main points raised throughout the thesis in their total perspective.