in the 1st century ad . a brilliant and witty writer name patronius write a book call satyricon and from it inception and become widely popular . unfortunately for u and the reveal book be say to have displease the emperor nero who be so envious of the author and he ban and order it destroy . what be save be only fragment of the original manuscript and thus director federiico fellini be hamstrung to complete the entire work . consequently and the movie be see in disjointed form . nevertheless and what be craft become a superb masterpiece of film . despite the fragmentary approach and one need only remember the decadence of ancient rome and the time and it many religious practice together with it ruler and sloven people to understand the movie . the fragmented story be of two roman youth encolpio ( martin potter ) the romantic adventurer and his close friend ascilto ( hiram keller ) the equally adventurous and opportunistic but morally corrupt companion . together they share their travel and fortune and possession and a special love for their slave boy gitone ( max bear ) whom they have to extricate from a popular stage actor and his troupe . fellini illusionary film take extreme literary license with their travel a they be invite to visit the very gluttonous rich and the inclement poor and the visually grotesque . suffer earthquake and enslavement they visit a pagan temple where they discover a rarity and the worship of a hemaphrodite a a god like deity whom they kidnap . unfortunately the creature die and they escape . fear the wrath of the worshiper they again travel abroad but soon find themselves in chain on a roman slave ship which be then seize and board and finally they end up on an island where they be once again plan to embark on another adventure to search and rescue their lose slave boy . although incomplete like a puzzle and one must remember the director be work with only the remnant of the original work . this film or what there be of it and still remain an italian classic . .