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Haec
locuto Philerote, Ganymedes 'meras nugas' inquit 'narratis. nemo interim cura quam carum sit frumentum. non mehercule hodie
buccam panis invenire potui. iam totum annum esuritio fuit. aedilibus male eveniat, qui cum pistoribus colludunt "serva
me, servabo te." heu, heu, cotidie peius! sed quare habemus aedilem pessimum, qui sibi mavult assem quam vitam nostram?
itaque domi gaudet, plus in die nummorum accipiens quam alter totum patrimonium habet. quod ad me attinet, vestes comedi
et perseverante hac annona casulas meas vendam. quid enim futurum est, si nec dei neque homines huius coloniae miserentur?
omnia haec, ut ego credo, a dis fiunt. nemo enim caelum caelum putat; nemo ieiunium servat; nemo Iovem pili facit; sed omnes
opertis oculis bona sua computant. antea matres stolatae ibant nudis pedibus ad templum, passis capillis, mentibus puris,
et Iovem aquam orabant. Itaque statim urceatim pluebat, et omnes redibant udi tamquam mures. nunc autem, quia religiosi
non sumus, agri iacent...'
When Philerote was saying this, Ganymedes said 'pure rubbish you speak. Meanwhile no one cares how expensive the
corn is. Today not my Hercules could find a mouthful of bread. Now all year was famine. May it turn out badly for the aediles
who are in deals with the bakers, "serve me, serve you." Alas, alas, everyday gets worse! But we have the worst aedile who
prefers an ass for himself rather than our life? Therefore he rejoices at home, receiving more money each day than another
man has in his whole inheritance. As far as I am concerned I have sold my clothes to buy food and as the price of corn is
still rising I will sell my cottage. For what will happen if neither gods nor man take pity on this colony? All this, I
believe, was done by the gods. No one thinks the sky is heaven; no one keeps the fast; no one cares a straw for Jupiter;
but all count their goods with their eyes covered. Beforehand mothers went barefoot to the temple with their hair loose,
pure minds and begged Jupiter for water. Therefore it began to rain in buckets and all returned like drowned rats. Now however
because we are not religious the fields lie...'
Above is an extract
from the Satyricon, both in Latin and translated into english, which highlights the views of many people of the time in regards
to religion. At this time, as described, many people were lacking in their faith and not correctly carrying through various
religious ceremonies, practices and traditions such as keeping religious fasts and visiting the temple with a pure mind as
had been done in previous years. It was believed my many people that this was the reason that the gods were punishing them
by creating drought and famine, but this was brought on by the humans themselves. Throughout the Satyricon there are various
referenced to the gods through expressions such as My Hercules but aside from this The Satyricon often creates religious slurs,
implying that religion was not held so highly as it was previously, especially amongst the more wealthy, such as Trimalchio
and his guests.
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