Un originale augurio sepolcrale, ovvero l'imprevidibilità di Trimalchione

This paper proposes a novel interpretation of a well-known textual aporia within Trimalchio’s funerary inscription in Petronius’s 'Satyricon' (71, 12), specifically focusing on the final formula 'Vale; et tu'. Reviewing the previous scholarship discussed by C.M. Lucarini, which offers no definitive solution, the author introduces a psychological and cultural reading based on Roman superstition and the grotesque context of the scene. The study argues that the final words et tu should be understood as spoken directly by Trimalchio himself immediately after reading his own epitaph. By addressing the listeners, Trimalchio enacts a theatrical doubling of his persona: having fully immersed himself in the simulation of his own death, he suddenly snaps back to reality. This concluding remark serves an apotropaic purpose, functioning as a superstitious ritual to ward off the very death he has just evoked and to ensure that his actual burial remains a distant prospect. Ultimately, the paper highlights how this interpretation perfectly aligns with the unpredictable, bizarre, and deeply superstitious character of Petronius's famous freedman.