Rufrius Crispinus Nero's hand, being drowned during a fishing trip. Also, his ex-wife was kicked to death by Nero. That Nero murdered the young son of Poppaea is a claim difficult to believe, as the boy would have never posed a threat to Nero's rule because of his father's low status. That he kicked his beloved wife Poppaea while pregnant is also a claim that comes solely from his detractors. Rufrius Crispinus Rufrius Crispinus was an equestrian who lived during the later Julio-Claudian dynasty. The satirist Juvenal spitefully described him as one the "dregs" of the "Nile", indicating his Egyptian origin. It
Poppaea (gens) Poppaea (gens) The gens Poppaea was a minor plebeian family at Rome. Members of this gens first appear under the early Empire, when two brothers served as consuls in AD 9. The Roman empress Poppaea Sabina was a descendant of this family, but few others achieved any prominence in the Roman state. A number of Poppaei are known from inscriptions. The name is sometimes confused with that of "Pompeia". The consul Gaius Poppaeus Sabinus is said to have come from an undistinguished family, and to have owed his lengthy career more to his competence than his brilliance. There is little