Gaius Petronius Arbiter was a Roman courtier during the reign of Nero, around circa 27 AD to 66 AD. He is generally believed to be the author of the Satyricon, a satirical novel thought to have been written during the Neronian era (54–68 AD).

Petronius is one of the most important characters in Henryk Sienkiewicz's historical novel Quo Vadis (1895). The 1951 film adaptation of the same name features Leo Genn portraying Petronius.