Statue of Poppea Sabina.
Nero at the funeral of his second wife Poppea Sabina ordered to burn all-year production of Arabic incense. Interestingly, the ruler himself killed pregnant empress, whom he kicked in the stomach.
Emperor Nero’s second wife was not burnt as it was in the Roman custom. Her body was embalmed and deposited in the mausoleum of Augustus. Tacitus rather sarcastically indicates that her body has been “perfumed” with perfumes and oils after having previously performed foreign rituals. Certainly, the Empress would appreciate such a way of handling her body, taking into account that she took care of her appearance during her lifetime. Apparently she even took baths in donkey milk to preserve beautiful and young skin.
Sources
- Pliny Elder, Natural history
- Tacitus, Annals
