Peacock facing right

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 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.