Gaius Petronius was an advisor in matters of style and taste to the Roman emperor Nero. His official title was arbiter elegantaie. Petronius is believed to be the author of the Satryicon, the famous satire of the excesses of the Roman upper class. He was forced to commit suicide when he lost favor with Nero.
Students of probability remember Petronius because of the quote Suam habet fortuna rationem (Chance has its reasons) from verse 82 of the Satryicon.