▁since ▁the ▁novel ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁written ▁or ▁at ▁least ▁set ▁during ▁his ▁lifetime . ▁The ▁link , ▁however , ▁remains ▁spec ulative ▁and ▁disput ed . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁writer ▁Pet ron ius ' ▁development ▁of ▁his ▁characters ▁in ▁the ▁S aty ric on , ▁namely ▁Tr imal chio , ▁trans c ends ▁the ▁traditional ▁style ▁of ▁writing ▁of ▁ancient ▁literature . ▁In ▁the ▁literature ▁written ▁during ▁Pet ron ius ' ▁lifetime , ▁the ▁emphas is ▁was ▁always ▁on ▁the ▁typical ▁consider ations ▁of ▁plot , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁laid ▁down ▁by ▁classical ▁rules . ▁The ▁character , ▁which ▁was ▁hardly ▁known ▁in ▁ancient ▁literature , ▁was ▁secondary . ▁Pet ron ius ▁goes ▁beyond ▁these ▁literary ▁limitations ▁in ▁his ▁exact ▁port ray als ▁of ▁detailed ▁speech , ▁behavior , ▁surr ound ings , ▁and ▁appearance ▁of ▁the ▁characters . ▁ ▁Another ▁literary ▁device ▁Pet ron ius ▁emp lo ys ▁in ▁his ▁novel ▁is ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁specific ▁all us ions . ▁The ▁all us ions ▁to ▁certain ▁people ▁and ▁events ▁are ▁evidence ▁that ▁the ▁S aty ric on ▁was ▁written ▁during ▁N ero ' s ▁time . ▁These ▁also ▁suggest ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁aim ed ▁at ▁a ▁contemporary ▁audience ▁which ▁consisted ▁in ▁part ▁of ▁N ero ' s ▁cour ti ers ▁and ▁even ▁N ero ▁himself . ▁ ▁One ▁such ▁all usion , ▁found ▁in ▁chapter ▁ 9 , ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁the ▁good ▁wife ▁Lu cret ia ▁which ▁was ▁well ▁known ▁at ▁the ▁time : ▁ ▁The ▁message