The Roman Emperor Who Married a Teenage Boy

The Roman Emperor Nero. A mansion-building arsonist with a passion for twinks…or was he? In this episode, Jared and Abe pull back the curtain on Nero’s pervy reign to explore his marriage to Sporus, the boy who became empress of Rome. But who was Sporus? What drew Nero to him? And, most importantly, when exactly was the fiddle invented? Tangents include, but are not limited to, Latin phraseology, international sharts, and the eternal battle between AD and CE. SOURCESThe Lives of the Twelve Caesars by Suetonius Annals by TacitusRoman History by Cassius DioNero by Edward ChamplinJennifer Ingleheart, “Introduction: Romosexuality: Rome, Homosexuality, and Reception”, Ancient Rome and the Construction of Modern Homosexual IdentitiesShaun Tougher, “The Aesthetics of Castration: The Beauty of Roman Eunuchs, Castration and Culture in the Middle Ages ed. Larissa Tracy David Woods, “Nero and Sporus” The boy that Emperor Nero made his “wife”: What the tragedy of the castrated Sporus tells us about homosexuality in ancient Rome.THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.