Poppaea Sabina's adult position at Nero's court developed through successive marriages and imperial favor. After marriage to Rufrius Crispinus and then Otho, she became involved with Nero by the late 50s AD. Otho was sent to govern Lusitania. Ancient accounts differ about the beginning of the relationship and portray Poppaea's influence through the hostile conventions often applied to powerful women at court.

In 62 Nero divorced Octavia and married Poppaea. Octavia was subsequently exiled and killed. Tacitus attributes pressure for these acts, and for action against Agrippina, to Poppaea, but the emperor's decisions should not simply be transferred to her as independently established deeds. In 63 she bore a daughter, Claudia, and received the title Augusta. The child died after only a few months. Her status also appears in public honors and her relationship with Pompeii, which gained colonial standing under Nero.

Josephus records obtaining assistance through Poppaea and associates her with sympathy toward Jewish petitioners, although the precise religious implications remain debated. This evidence gives a different view from Roman narratives focused on intrigue. In 65 she died while pregnant. Tacitus and other writers report that Nero killed her with a kick during an angry encounter; the account is not independently secure. She received a public funeral and divine honors. Her tenure as empress is documented through literary testimony and imperial commemoration.