Who Was Sporus?
Sporus was a young slave boy whom the Roman Emperor Nero had castrated and married as his “Empress” during his tour of Greece in 66–67 CE. He was said to bear a remarkable resemblance to Nero’s previous wife, Poppaea Sabina, who had died the year before. Nero had Sporus appear in public as his wife wearing the regalia that was customary for Roman empresses. He also called him by Poppaea’s name and treated him as his consort. Ancient historians generally portrayed the relationship between Nero and Sporus as an “abomination” and a sign of Nero’s depravity and madness
Why Did Nero Marry Sporus?
Nero’s motives for marrying Sporus are unclear and disputed. Some sources suggest that Nero was overcome by grief and guilt after he allegedly kicked his pregnant wife Poppaea to death in a fit of rage. He then sought to replace her with someone who looked like her and could ease his sorrow Others claim that Nero was simply driven by lust and vanity, and that he wanted to humiliate Sporus and mock the institution of marriage. Some modern scholars, however, question these accounts and argue that Nero’s marriage to Sporus had nothing to do with love or lust, but rather with power and politics. They propose that Nero used Sporus as a tool to assert his authority and to challenge his rivals for the throne.
How Did Sporus Die?
Sporus’ life as Nero’s “Empress” was short-lived and tragic. In 68 CE, Nero was declared a public enemy by the Roman Senate and forced to flee Rome. He took Sporus with him, along with another freedman named Phaon. As they were pursued by the soldiers of the new emperor Galba, Nero decided to commit suicide rather than face capture and execution. He asked Sporus to help him kill himself, but Sporus refused. Nero then stabbed himself in the neck with the help of Phaon and died.
Sporus did not fare much better after Nero’s death. He was taken by one of Nero’s former generals, Otho, who also claimed to be the emperor. Otho treated Sporus as his wife and continued to call him Poppaea. He even planned to marry him in a public ceremony, but he was prevented by a revolt led by another general, Vitellius. Otho reigned for only three months until he committed suicide after losing a battle against Vitellius.
Vitellius, who became the next emperor, had a cruel fate in store for Sporus. He intended to use him as a victim in a public entertainment: a fatal “re-enactment” of the Rape of Proserpina at a gladiator show. Sporus would have been raped and killed by a wild beast in front of a cheering crowd. Sporus, however, managed to avoid this horrific fate by killing himself before the show. He was only about 20 years old when he died.
Conclusion
The story of Sporus is a sad and shocking one, that reveals the brutality and instability of the Roman Empire in the first century CE. Sporus was a victim of Nero’s tyranny and madness, and of the civil wars that followed his downfall. He was castrated, married, and paraded as a woman against his will. He was used and abused by different emperors who claimed to love him, but only saw him as a trophy and a pawn. He never found peace or happiness in his life, and he chose death over further humiliation and suffering.
