Paterfamilias in his Tablinum

This view shows the inside of the tablinum, where the paterfamilias sits awaiting his clients, who come one by one to pay him homage, ask him for favors, offer to give favors in return, and bring him important news. In the case of the House of Pansa, the paterfamilias is Gnaius Alleius Nigidius Maius, a former politician in Pompeii who is known to have sponsered gladiatorial combats. It is here that you, as a client, would pay your daily homage to your paterfamilias, and thus maintain your patron-client relationship, on which you would be dependent for much in life, whether you were an aspiring politician or a working man. Having paid your daily respects to your paterfamilias, you are now free to go on and conduct your business for the rest of the day.

For more information about the salutatio, please see the Project Overview and Background page, and for more information about Gnaius Alleius Nigidius Maius and the House of Pansa, please see the Insula Arriana Polliana website at the Pompeii Forum Project.

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