Intriguing Facts About Poppaea Sabina, Rome's Wily Empress
Behind every deranged man is a bloodthirsty woman. As the highly influential second wife of Emperor Nero, Poppaea Sabina used her remarkable beauty to scheme her way to the top of the Roman food chain and encourage her husband to commit some of his most vicious acts. Or so they say... Strap in as we unveil the brutal story of Poppaea Sabina, Rome's wiliest empress.
Poppaea Sabina Facts
1. She Had Explosive Roots
Poppaea Sabina’s birthplace is difficult to pinpoint, but most historians believe that she was born in Pompeii in 30AD. Sadly, one of the most infamous disasters may have destroyed her home.
Some experts think that the fearsome eruption of Mount Vesuvius turned Sabina's lavish villa, Casa del Menandra, into rubble. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t mysterious traces of the Empress left…
2. She Was a Great and Terrible Beauty
Sabina’s beauty was well-known throughout Rome, with her sometimes strange efforts to preserve her good looks becoming fashionable among Roman women.
When Nero wrote a poem about Sabina's deep amber hair, women used henna to emulate her fiery tresses. But the Empress' weirdest beauty tip required more than hair dye. Sabina used to wash her face in donkey milk to preserve her alabaster coloring.
Whatever Sabina did, it worked, but she'd learn that beauty couldn't shield her from tragedy.
3. She Lost Her Father
Sabina's life derailed into tragedy very quickly. In 31 AD, when Sabina was only one year old, her father Titus Ollis passed—and he did not go gently into that good night.
The Romans accused him of conspiring to overthrow the current Emperor Tiberius with another administrator, leading daddy dearest to take his own life for "honor" before his baby girl could even walk.
