Juvenal, JOO vuh nuhl (A.D. 60?-130?), was a Roman poet known for his 16 biting satires. These pieces ridicule the extravagance, corruption, and immorality he saw in Rome. Juvenal excelled in writing short, stinging character sketches. He had a marvelous eye for detail and a keen ear for people's speech. Juvenal thought society should be run by men, like himself, of the old upper class who were of Italian birth. He hated the success of foreigners and the new freedom of women.