Poro, re dell'Indie ("Porus, King of the Indians", HWV 28) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel.

The Italian-language libretto was adapted from Alessandro nell'Indie by Metastasio, and based on Alexander the Great's encounter with Porus in 326 BC.

He is distraught however when she sends a friendly greeting to the victorious Alessandro and sets out to pay him a visit, fearing that his wife will betray him with the conqueror.

Alessandro is charmed by Cleofide's person, which Poro observing in his disguise as "Asbite" feels is evidence that his wife is planning to betray him.

In the temple prepared for the marriage, with a sacrificial fire upon which Cleofide intends to throw herself, she is about to marry Alessandro when Poro appears and sinks to his knees before his wife, begging her to change her mind.

A tremendous success, Rinaldo created a craze in London for Italian opera seria, a form focused overwhelmingly on solo arias for the star virtuoso singers.

[10][11] The Royal Academy of Music collapsed at the end of the 1728–29 season, partly due to the huge fees paid to the star singers.

[12][13][14][15] At the end of the 1729 season, both ladies and the star castrato Senesino who had appeared to great acclaim in numerous operas by Handel left London for engagements in continental Europe.

[17]Musical historian Graham Cummings has said of Poro: "With very few exceptions the arias rank amongst Handel's finest work, widely varied in style and often richly scored.

"[7] The opera is scored for two recorders, flute, two oboes, bassoon, trumpet, two horns, strings, and continuo (cello, lute, harpsichord).

Europa Galante conducted by Fabio Biondi with Gloria Banditelli (Poro), Rossana Bertini (Cleofide), Bernada Fink (Erissena), Gérard Lesne,(Gandarto), Sandro Naglia (Alessandro), Timagene (Roberto Abbondanza), recorded 1994.