Sexuality in ancient Rome preoccupied with the risk of it. Cicero offers no examples in either the gossipy parts of his letters or in court cases where he attacks the reputation of a woman: he accuses Clodia of incest and of running her house like a brothel, but not of sleeping with slaves. Not even Messalina or Sallust's Sempronia is accused in the hostile sources of having sex with a slave. Sex with a slave was among the trumped-up charges against Claudia Octavia, the wife of Nero, when Poppaea Sabina campaigned to take her place, but mostly it was a matter for innuendo or
Poppaea Sabina the Elder committed suicide following Sejanus' downfall; by Ollius she had her daughter the future empress. After Ollius' death she married Publius Cornelius Lentulus Scipio, consul in 24; Scipio had by a previous marriage Publius Cornelius Lentulus Scipio the Younger, consul in 56; with Poppaea Sabina the Elder they had a son, Publius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus, suffect consul in 68. Her downfall came in the reign of the emperor Claudius. His wife, Messalina, desired to possess the Gardens of Lucullus which was owned by Decimus Valerius Asiaticus, consul in the years 35 and again in 46. Based on the gossip that Poppaea