Even still some argue that she died as a result of childbirth or miscarriage. According to Suetonius, Nero had Sporus castrated, afterward keeping the boy shrouded in a woman’s stola and veils, and announced to the world that his lover was now a woman. Then Nero met Tiridates. The boy’s life ended, but his name has lived on as a synonym for eunuchs and derision, even making it into a line of poetry by Lord Byron in the verse: “Sporus, that mere white curd of ass’s milk? As the previous Emperor Caligula is assassinated at the age of 28 in an attempt by conspirators to restore the Roman republic, Claudius is named emperor by the Praetorian Guard. Nanosanchez/Archaeological Museum of Olympia A statue of Poppaea Sabina, who Nero was rumored to have kicked to death while pregnant. It could have reminded the emperor in symbol and stone that Sporus was at his side thanks to force, much like Persephone was with Hades. With numerous competing theories about its genesis, use and purpose, one possibility is that the temple was built as a monument to the “bromance” between Roman Emperor Nero and Armenian King Tiridates I. Accounts describe his reaction upon seeing Sporus, that he bore such a resemblance to Poppaea that Nero had Sporus freed and castrated. It’s then that Sporus learns of a horrible fate arranged for him by the new emperor. In the beginning of 66, Nero married Statilia Messalina. The Early Church Saw Itself as a Political Body. Nero’s private secretary, Epaphroditus, under orders helped Nero drive a dagger through his own neck, as a means of escaping the anticipated public execution.

He was almost certainly Sporus’s dominant sexual partner, especially after the latter’s castration. [email protected] | RSS | #imperiumromanum. According to Suetonius, Nero had Sporus castrated, afterward keeping the boy shrouded in a woman’s stola and veils, and announced to the world that his lover was now a woman. That was also a show of power and force.”. Nero has him killed in secret. Bibliography: Lerouge, Charlotte. Sporus was said to bear a powerful resemblance to the late empress, Poppaea Sabina. We Can Too. He was a Roman slave who was adored by Emperor Nero because he reminded him of his death wife Poppaa Sabina. In this real life “game of thrones” one ruling-class Roman family either gains or loses it all for control of the seat of emperor. These were chosen to become slaves of important Roman citizens because of their beauty. Opulent gifts and rarities were in tow as political dowry to the “eccentric” emperor. The men took a liking to each other, and as it was customary at the time, engaged in slaying wild beasts while touring the Empire in chariots. Ancient Greek Snake Altar Made To Appease The Gods Of The Dead Found In Turkey, Amy Coney Barrett and the Christian Legal Community, Del Ponte’s rise from relay regular to individual contender.

On Jan. 1, 68 A.D., while Nero was taking auspices for the New Year, Sporus gifted the emperor a ring depicting the Rape of Persephone, the mythical girl who was kidnapped by Hades to become his bride. Satire or sense, alas! Also, the Romans would, when they conquered a people, it was very common for the men in the Roman legions to rape the other men that they had conquered. Emperor Nero of Ancient Rome was known for his sexual depravity. Some famous examples in the ancient world include Bagoas, Alexander the Great’s favorite, a Persian eunuch who became a trusted companion, and Pothinus, the advisor to Ptolemy VIII, Cleopatra’s brother/husband.
In such a case, castration would have been a simple way for Nero to neutralize his potential competitor. After becoming emperor in 69 A.D., Vitellius proposed that Sporus play the titular role in “The Rape of Proserpina,” a performance that would serve as part of a gladiatorial spectacle. As Julius Caesar could attest, same-sex attraction was less about gender and more about position, in both the physical and societal sense of the word. Like Nero, Alexander the Great had a eunuch lover named Bagoas. Sporus was said to bear a powerful resemblance to the late empress, Poppaea Sabina.