LAS IMAGES OF FEMALE PYGMIES IN POMPEIAN NILOTIC PAINTINGS: A PRELIMINARY OVERVIEW ABOUT THEIR ROLES AND REPRESENTATIONS

Abstract

At the dawn of the 3rd century BCE, the flourishing yet ambivalent relationship between Egypt and Rome, starts to become clearer. The agreement of the 273 BCE triggered the beginning of an overhaul of the political, cultural, economical and religious settings in Italy, particularly visible in the artistic production originated from the clash and the interweaving between the Roman and the Egyptian worlds. Following a general overview regarding the historical and cultural background of relationships between Egypt and Rome, this paper explores the figurative development of the picta nilotica in the Roman repertoire. The focus is on the figures of female pygmies and the spread of this subject in relation to both chronology and contexts in Pompeii. Finally, the aim is to provide a preliminary analysis of these female figures, attempting to explore how they are depicted and their roles in the social environment in which they are portrayed.