The position of a slave in the Roman world is well illustrated in a fragment of the work – Satyricon, whose authorship is attributed to Gaius Petronius – the first-century expert in good taste and artistic values. The author describes how one of the characters in the work, a certain Trimalchion – a liberator who achieved freedom and wealth with hard work and perseverance – clicks on his slave with his fingers. The slave brings a potty, which master can use for defecation. Then he brings a bowl of water to wash his hands.