Portrait of Paquius Proculo

The portrait of Paquius Proculo is a fresco currently preserved at the Naples National Archaeological Museum that was found in Pompeii.

The fresco depicts a pair of middle-class Pompeians, almost certainly husband and wife. They are commonly referred to as "Paquius Proculus and his wife", due to an inscription found on the outside of the house, although a graffito inside the house later revealed the man to be Terentius Neo.^[1] (The external inscription turned out to be an election advertisement for Paquius Proculus, a baker who had been elected duumviri some time prior to the eruption.^[2])

The man in the fresco wears a toga, the mark of a Roman citizen; and holds a rotulus, suggesting he is involved in public and/or cultural affairs. The woman holds a stylus and wax tablet, emphasizing that she is educated and literate.^[3] It is suspected, based on the physical features of the couple, that they are Samnites, which may explain the desire to show off the status they have reached in Roman society.

References

1. "House of Paquius Proculus". AD79. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
2. "Casa di Paquio Proculo". Pompei Sepolta. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
3. "Paquius Proculus an wife". Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. Retrieved 2015-10-14.