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The historian Cassius Dio reports in the early 3rd century that Poppaea had 500 mares milked daily so that she could bathe in their milk—as an example of her luxury.
We reproduce what the source reports and place it in a critical context. Donkey milk is a food.
The source in brief
- Author: Cassius Dio (Lucius Cassius Dio)
- Work: Roman History (Rhomaika)
- Passage: Book 62, Chapter 28, Section 1 (preserved in the Epitome of Xiphilinos)
- Time and place: early 3rd century AD · Roman Empire
- Type of source: Roman historiography
The original wording
She had gilded girths put upon the mules that carried her and caused five hundred asses that had recently foaled to be milked each day that she might bathe in their milk.
She had gilded straps put on the mules that carried her and had five hundred mares that had recently foaled milked every day so that she might bathe in their milk.
English, Dio 62,28,1 (English translation by Foster 1905)
German rendering: own, free translation by the DON DONKEY'S editorial team.
Background
Cassius Dio (c. 163–after 229 AD) came from Nicæa in Bithynia, was a Roman senator and consul, and wrote a Roman History in Greek in 80 books, covering the period from the Roman Republic's beginnings to 229 AD.
The books on Emperor Nero have not survived in their original form, but only in an abridgment compiled by the Byzantine monk John Xiphilinos in the 11th century. The wording and selection therefore partly reflect the abridger.
What the source reports
Dio mentions Poppaea Sabina in connection with her death in 65 AD and announces that he will describe her excessive luxury "in no time at all." As examples, he cites gilded straps for her mules and five hundred mares that had recently foaled and were milked daily for her baths.
He adds that Poppaea placed great importance on appearing youthful and radiant; one day, when she disliked her reflection, she wished to die before she withered.
Dio does not claim that the milk had any medicinal or cosmetic effect. For him, the milk bath serves as evidence of extravagance at Nero's court.
Numbers and facts
- 500 – mares that, according to Dio, were milked daily
- 65 AD – Poppaea's death, the occasion for the mention
- ≈ 150 years – time between the event and its recording
- 80 – books of the Roman History
- 11th century – Xiphilinos's abridgment, in which the passage is preserved
Critical context
- Late source: Dio wrote about a century and a half after Poppaea's death. The fact that he, like Pliny, cites the number 500 suggests a shared literary tradition rather than independent confirmation.
- Preservation in an abridgment: The passage is preserved only in the Epitome of Xiphilinos. Details of the wording may therefore differ from the original text.
- Moral purpose: Dio uses the milk bath as an example of luxury and vanity. The anecdote is part of a critical portrayal of Nero and his court.
- Modern context: The passage is a testament to the ancient tradition surrounding Poppaea. It says nothing about the effects of donkey milk.
Our context
Dio provides the figure of daily milked mares that is still frequently cited today—but with a considerable time gap and for moralizing purposes. For us, this is a piece of cultural history, not an advertising message.
Original quotes, all facts, and full context: Cassius Dio: Poppaea and 500 Mares. Further sources and studies in the Research Archive.
Source: English translation by H. B. Foster, "Dio's Rome", Vol. 5, 1905 (Project Gutenberg) · Summarized by the DON DONKEY'S editorial team, as of November 2026.
End of source summary. The source does not refer to DON DONKEY'S® or our products. Our donkey milk is a food.
