Gaius petronius arbiter biography

This article is about the Roman prefect.

Satyricon

Gaius Petronius Arbiter was a Roman courtier during the reign of Nero.

Petronius oil platform

Gaius Petronius Arbiter, orig.

After serving as proconsul and consul in the province of Bithynia, he was made the “arbiter of elegance” in the court of Nero.

For other uses, see Gaius Petronius Arbiter and Petronius (disambiguation).

Gaius Petronius or Publius Petronius (c. 75 BC – after 20 BC) was the second and then fourth Prefect of Roman Aegyptus.

History

Petronius led a campaign into present-day central Sudan against the Kingdom of Kush at Meroë, whose queenImanarenat had previously attacked Roman Egypt. Failing to acquire permanent gains, he razed the city of Napata to the ground and retreated to the north.

Strabo describes a war with the Romans in the 1st century BC. After the initial victories of Kandake (or "Candace") Amanirenas against Roman Egypt, the Kushites of northern Nubia were defeated and Napata sacked.^[1]

The destruction of the capital of Napata was not a crippling blow to the Kushites and did not frighten Candace enough to prevent her from again engaging in combat with the Roman military.

Gaius Petronius's attack might have h