Romans in Olympia - III
Portrait statue of a priestess (?), so-called Poppaea Sabina, from Olympia Heraion.
The high quality of its workmanship and heroic size originally prompted a tentative identification with Poppaea Sabina, second wife of the emperor Nero. This identification is now rejected. Poppaea’s images suffered the “Damnatio Memoriae”, i.e., a similar fate to the sculptures of her husband, and as a result, securely identified sculptural representations of the empress are completely lacking.
Poppaea was married initially to Rufius Crispinus and then to the future emperor Marcus Salvius Otho. While still married to Otho, Poppaea became Nero’s mistress, sometime in A.D. 58. Nero and Poppaea were finally married in A.D. 62, only twelve days after Nero’s divorce from Claudia Octavia. At that time Poppaea was awarded the title of Augusta. She bore Nero one child, Claudia Augusta, who died in infancy. Poppaea’s death in 65 was rumored to have been caused by a miscarriage induced when Nero kicked her in the stomach.
Source: Eric R. Varner, “Mutilation and Transformations - Damnatio Memoriae and Roman Imperial Portraiture
”
Parian marble statue
2nd half of the 1st century AC
From the Heraion of Olympia.
Olympia, Archaeological Museum, Inv. no. Λ 144
Romans in Olympia - III
Portrait statue of a priestess (?), so-called Poppaea Sabina, from Olympia Heraion.
The high quality of its workmanship and heroic size originally prompted a tentative identification with Poppaea Sabina, second wife of the emperor Nero. This identification is now rejected. Poppaea’s images suffered the “Damnatio Memoriae”, i.e., a similar fate to the sculptures of her husband, and as a result, securely identified sculptural representations of the empress are completely lacking.
Poppaea was married initially to Rufius Crispinus and then to the future emperor Marcus Salvius Otho. While still married to Otho, Poppaea became Nero’s mistress, sometime in A.D. 58. Nero and Poppaea were finally married in A.D. 62, only twelve days after Nero’s divorce from Claudia Octavia. At that time Poppaea was awarded the title of Augusta. She bore Nero one child, Claudia Augusta, who died in infancy. Poppaea’s death in 65 was rumored to have been caused by a miscarriage induced when Nero kicked her in the stomach.
Source: Eric R. Varner, “Mutilation and Transformations - Damnatio Memoriae and Roman Imperial Portraiture
”
Parian marble statue
2nd half of the 1st century AC
From the Heraion of Olympia.
Olympia, Archaeological Museum, Inv. no. Λ 144