Messalina 13-26

Now Messalina, because of the ease of her adultery, turned to new pleasures.

iam Messalina propter facilitatem adulteriorum ad novas libidines versa est.

Silius, whether because of predestined madness

Silius, sive fatali insania

or thinking that dangers themselves were a cure for the threatening dangers,

an ipsa pericula remedium imminentium periculorum ratus,

was insisting that concealment be thrown off:

abrumpi dissimulationem urgebat:

indeed it was not necessary to wait for the emperor to grow old.

quippe non exspectandum, dum princeps senesceret.

He himself was unmarried, childless and prepared for marriage, and to adopt Britannicus.

se caelibem, orbum, nuptiis et adoptando Britannico paratum.

The same power would remain for Messalina,

eandem Messalinae potentiam mansuram esse,

with added security, if they forestalled Claudius,

addita securitate, si praevenirent Claudium,

who was not suspicious of a plot but was quick to anger.

qui insidiis incautus sed ad iram celer esset.

Messalina, not because of love for her husband,

Messalina, non amore in maritum

but fearing that Silius, having obtained supreme power, might reject her,

sed verita ne Silius summa adeptus se sperneret,

hesitated for a long time.

diu haesitavit;

But finally she was persuaded.

sed tandem persuasum.

For she longed for the name of marriage, because of the magnitude of its outrageousness.

nomen enim matrimonii concupivit ob magnitudinem infamiae.

Having waited only enough for Claudius to set out to Ostia to make a sacrifice,

nec ultra morata quam dum sacrificii gratia Claudius Ostiam proficisceretur,

she celebrates all the ceremonies of marriage.

cuncta nuptiarum sollemnia celebrat.