Octavia's head is shown to Poppea. Painting by Giovanni Muzzioli
When in the life of Nero the unscrupulous Poppea, broke in unscrupulous woman for whom the emperor had lost his mind, he found it impossible to repudiate his legitimate consort Octavia , Daughter of Claudio, who had adopted it, and of Valeria Messalina, therefore too prominent to be put aside as nothing had happened.
To this objective and apparently insurmountable obstacle, was added the particular, of no small importance, of the absolutely irreproachable conduct of Octavia, who lived a secluded existence, far from the squabbles of the palace and in whose exemplary behavior in every circumstance, public or private that was it, no trace could be found of even the slightest mole that could serve as a pretext to chase it away.
But here we are talking about Nero, one who, at any cost, always found the way out.
In that case she was a vile character belonging to his entourage to serve as his shoulder and to allow him to develop a plan as diabolical as it is despicable:this individual accused himself of adultery, while affirming that Octavia had betrayed her husband, a malevolent falsehood of course, but sufficient to exile the innocent woman in the remote and difficult island of Ventotene.
A cruel and undeserved punishment, which did not even serve to appease the blood anxiety that had long ago clouded Nero's mind:in 62 AD, probably instigated by Poppea herself, who in terms of her perfidy was second to none of her, had Octavia killed by betrayal and ordered that the head of the unfortunate woman be brought to Rome, so that she could offer it as a gift to her new wife.
It was one of the worst atrocities committed by Nero during his reign, a hideous and completely gratuitous murder worthy of a depraved and cowardly personality.