Papirius Praetextatus

In ancient Rome women were not believed to be able to keep secrets, so they were not allowed in the Senate, where secrets of the state were discussed. Papirius however was a boy and one day he accompanied his father, a Roman senator, to the Senate and was sworn to secrecy concerning the matters debated there. Upon his return, Papirius was interrogated by his mother about the subject discussed. Pressured to give an answer, the boy fabricated a lie, claiming they had debated whether it seemed more expidient, and to the advantage of the state, for one man to have two wives or one woman to have two husbands. Panic-stricken by this news Papirius' mother rallied the matrons of Rome to petition the Senate that women might have two husbands. Their appeal was met by astonishment and outrage by the senators, who wondered at the strangeness of the women's demand until Papirius intervened to explain the confusion. Impressed by the boy's wit and loyalty, the Senate honoured him with the surname Praetextatus, after the 'toga praetexta' worn by young boys, to commemorate his precocious intelligence.

Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807) painted Papirius' mother interrogating Papirius, as she imagined it took place. The painting is now in The Berger Collection, Denver Art Museum. Thomas Burke (1749-1815) made a mezzotint after the painting and William Wynne Ryland (1732-1783) printed it in London in redbrown ink in 1780. Such a printing plate is quickly worn and only about 20 prints can be made. So this print from my collection is probably rare. Other prints in British Museum and in Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco.