Probably a depiction of exercise (which the Romans highly valued), in which Roman women were commonly portrayed as wearing bikinis (or something we would see, with our modern eyes, as similar).
Consider the mural more of a life snapshot than something meant to titillate.
Thanks for the answer, but it brings up another question.
I thought that the Greek men loved to exercise naked, and that most of the Olympic events were unclothed. Were the women’s clothes supposed to protect the delicate lady bits? It would be a reverse from today’s media, where Batman wears leather and steel, and Catwoman fights crime in spandex and high heels.
Ask any woman what it’s like to try and run, without sufficient support. It’s apparently not pleasant, and gets worse as they get bigger. A sports bra, or equivalent is quite critical for women competing.
As for the bottoms? Perhaps they didn’t like the “winnie the poo” look?
Greeks often exercised and played sports naked, but such was taboo amongst the Romans. When the Emperor Nero brought (naked) Greek-style games to the colosseum, there was massive public outcry. Not because the Romans didn’t love Greeks, games, or nudity, but because public nudity was against Roman social norms. Being naked in public wasn’t seen as, like, “Oh no, the sight of butt is going to corrupt me!” but rather as “Gross, that person is degrading themselves by acting like an animal”
Want to also mention that in Ancient Greece only the glans of the penis was thought of as obscene. Allowing your glans to be exposed was seen as barabaric and of low class. Greek men often wore a kynodesme to prevent flopping and accidental foreskin retraction when sporting.
You might want to look up an old novel; “The Source” by James Michener. It’s fifteen short novels all set near the same well in Palestine/Israel. He starts with a cave dweller deciding to build a house and become a farmer and goes on through the different eras. One chapter is about the interaction of the local Jews and their Greek overlords.
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