Peacock facing left

Fragment of a wall painting
82. Fragment of a wall painting
Roman, Pompeii
Peacock facing left
Fresco, mid-1st century CE
Gift of Caroline R. Hill
Photograph Petegorsky/Gipe
MH 1958.3.C.PI

Learn more about the object below

Wealthy Romans Display Their Plumage
Label credits and suggested readings
Related Resources
Museum Floorplan
Wealthy Romans Display Their Plumage

The peacock was a delicacy in Rome, not because it tasted good, but because it cost so much. For example, in Petronius’ Satyricon, the pompous Trimalchio flaunts his wealth by serving peacock eggs to his dinner guests. Imported from India as pets, peacocks enhanced the Roman garden with colorful plumage and a nasty demeanor. Peacocks were associated with divinity, marriage, and familial pride, and thus well-suited for display in a Roman home. The proud birds that strut along the border of this vibrant fresco once added elegance and playfulness to an ancient dining room.

Label credits and suggested readings

Label text by Sylvia Peterson (MHC '12)

Suggested readings:

Unknown author, “Peacocks.” The Illustrated Magazine of Art, Vol. 1, No. 3 (1853), pp. 142-145.

Petronius Arbiter. Satyricon, Ch. 33. Trans. Sarah Ruden. Hackett Publishing, 2000.

Related Resources
Museum Floorplan