This thesis utilizes the concept of liminality, broadly defined as a state of ontological in-betweenness, as a lens through which to analyze the master-slave relationship presented within the Cena Trimalchionis episode of Petronius’s Satyricon. Under this lens, the character of Trimalchio is revealed to be a profoundly liminal one, and I argue that this liminality is not limited to him but is in fact an inherent aspect of the Roman master more broadly. This masterly liminality manifests through the names of characters within the narrative, particularly that of Trimalchio and several of his slaves, and in so doing highlights the nuances of what it means to be a Roman master.