Sporus
was a beautiful youth of servile origin, who bore a striking resemblance to Poppaea Sabina, the wife of Nero. On the death of Sabina in A. D. 63, Nero became passionately fond of this youth, had him castrated, dressed as a woman, and called by the name of Sabina.
He carried this disgusting folly so far as to marry Sporus publicly in Greece, in A. D. 67, with all the forms and ceremonies of a legal marriage. Sporus returned with Nero to Rome in the following year, fled with him from the city when the insurrection broke out against the tyrant, and was present with him at his death. Otho, who had been one of the companions of Nero in his debaucheries, lived on intimate terms with Sporus after his accession to the throne; but Vitellius having commanded Sporus to appear as a girl upon the stage in the most degrading circumstances, he put an end to his life to escape from the indignity (
D. C. 62.28,
63.12,
13,
27,
64.8,
65.10; Suet.
Ner. 28, 46, 48, 49 ; Aurel. Vict.
Caes. 5,
Epit. 5 ; Dion Chrysost.
Orat. xxi; Suidas,
s v. Σπόρος).
The name of Sporus is familiar to modern readers by Pope's infamous satire upon Lord Hervey.
