Sporus: Castrated, Freed, and Married to the Roman Emperor

The story of Sporus is a scenario repeated several times over in Roman history. 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. Some only hold it for months at a time others for many years. One can only begin to understand the events of the story of Sporus by understanding sex in the Roman culture.

As the Julio-Claudian dynasty draws near 54 AD Roman Emperor Claudius is poisoned to death. It is most likely his wife, Agrippina the Younger, who is behind it. His death is sudden yet no surprise in Roman history. Claudius himself should have been murdered but is spared because of his weak appearance. A terrible sickness as a child left him with a limp. As one of the Julii Caesares, of which the most famous is Julius Gaius Caesar, Claudius is a target to noble Roman families warring for the seat of power. 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.

Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Wikipedia Commons

Although he has a son, Britannicus, Nero is the successor to the title of emperor. Agrippina had persuaded Claudius to adopt Nero. Nero as emperor of Rome is young (he is sixteen years old ) and infinitely powerful, there is nothing and no-one out of his power to have. In the young emperor’s first speech before the senate he pledges to improve upon the failures of previous emperors. This is in stark comparison to what would later be a publicly hostile relationship between Nero and the senate.

The first part of his reign is marked by Agrippina directing the young emperor’s rule. Their relationship quickly crumbles as Agrippina did not approve of his relationship to freed woman Claudia Acte, who became his mistress. Nero tolerates his mother for a time. Before long she has already chosen a new candidate for Nero’s position in his place, his stepbrother Britannicus. Nero has him killed in secret. In AD 59 Agrippina dies and it is believed Nero is to blame for her death as well.

Nero’s second wife is the beautiful Poppaea Sabina. She dies in 65 AD as a result of being kicked to death while pregnant by Nero, some claim. Others suggest Nero poisoned her. Even still some argue that she died as a result of childbirth or miscarriage.

Nero and Poppaea Sabina coin. Wikipedia Commons

It’s the murder of his wife carried out by himself that ultimately leads Nero to take his future wife in Sporus. Accounts describe his reaction upon seeing Sporus, that he bore such a resemblance to Poppaea that Nero had Sporus freed and castrated. The couple would make public appearances together with Sporus dressed in the regular wardrobe for an emperor’s wife. Although this isn’t Nero’s first marriage to a man or a freedman at that. Before Sporus there was Pythagorus.

Nero’s reign is one characterized by violence and cruelty. After the Great Fire of Rome in July of AD 64 it is said that Nero blamed the fire on Christians and went so far as to have them burned alive for his own amusement. Some claim Nero had the fire started to make room for his building project, Domus Aurea.

A rise in support for Galba of Spain leads to a faltering in support for Nero as emperor. Nero flees Rome and in doing so hears from a courier that the senate declares him public enemy. It is also declared that he is to be beaten to death as a death sentence. While he is still in hiding Nero orders his secretary to kill him since he can’t bring himself to do it alone. Moments later men approaching Nero’s location desperately attempt to stop his wounds from bleeding. Bleeding to death, it is said Nero’s last words are “It’s too late!”. Their efforts are unsuccessful and Nero dies.

After Nero’s death comes the turmoil of a year long civil war known as the Year of the Four Emperors. (Something is wrong if you have four new emperors in one year) With Nero gone, prefect of the Praetorian Guard Nymphidius Sabinus takes care of Sporus. Sporus is once again nearly an empress as Nymphidius tries to become emperor. However he does not quite make it and is killed by fellows in the Guard.

In 69 AD Sporus becomes involved with the second emperor of the four that year, Otho. Otho had once been married to Nero’s murdered wife Poppaea. Upon Otho’s murder his rival Vitellius takes control of the throne. It’s then that Sporus learns of a horrible fate arranged for him by the new emperor.

Vitellius planned to humiliate him in a gladiatorial show reenacting the mythological rape of Persephone with Sporus to play the lead female role.

According to the mythology the god Zeus allows Hades to abduct the beautiful Persephone, taking her down to the underworld. Zeus orders Hades to then return her but Hades has a trick in store. He tricks Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds meaning that she would have to spend the winter months in the underworld having tasted its food. Hades having abducted Persephone then rapes her. A live reenactment sounds horrifying and so Sporus chooses not to let that happen. Similar to his husband, the deceased Nero, Sporus commits suicide.