7. Emperor Nero and Poppaea Sabina’s break-up might have been the one event that pushed the Emperor over the edge and into insanity
The Emperor Nero was a married man when he first set eyes on Poppaea Sabina. She was regarded by some ancient historians as the most beautiful woman in Rome at the time. Naturally, the Emperor was smitten and soon took her as a mistress. The contemporary sources also noted that Poppaea Sabina was highly ambitious. She had married another man simply to get close to Nero. So, when she became his lover, he persuaded the Emperor to have his own mother Agrippina the Younger murdered. With her out of the way, Nero could divorce his wife and marry Poppaea Sabina.
When they fell out of love, it was brutal – and violent. In the summer of 65, Poppaea Sabina was pregnant with her second child. However, she was determined to leave Nero, some ancient sources say, as the Emperor was spending more time at the chariot races than at home. Nero didn’t take this well. According to one popular account, he attacked her, leading to her death. The end of the relationship pushed Nero into a deep mourning – and some historians believe sent him over the edge into madness. Before long, he was out of control and had transformed into the monstrous tyrant most people known him as.