Messalina (page 1)

Messalina ... incensa est.

Messalina was on fire

novo et quasi insano amore

with a new and you might say mad passion

nam in C. Silium ... ita exarserat

For she had become so inflamed with Gaius Silius

iuventutis Romanae pulcherrimum

the most handsome of the young men of Rome

ut Iuniam Silanam ... exturbaret

that she drove out Junia Silana

nobilem feminam,

a noble woman,

matrimonio eius

from her marriage

liberoque adultero poteretur.

and won the free lover for herself.

neque Silius ... nescius erat:

And Silius was not unaware

flagitii aut periculi

of the scandal or the danger

sed intellexit exitium ... fore certum

but he understood that his death would be certain

si abnueret,

if he were to refuse

et, si consentiret,

and, if he agreed,

nonnullam ... spem esse;

there was some hope

facinoris celandi

of hiding the crime

simulque se ... accepturum

and at the same time he would receive

magna praemia

great benefits

igitur placuit

Therefore it was pleasing [for him]

neglegere futura

to ignore the future

praesentibus frui.

[and] to enjoy the present.

illa non furtim

She, not secretly,

sed multis cum comitibus

but with many companions

ventitat domum,

came repeatedly to his house

egredienti adhaeret,

she clung to him when he went out,

dat opes honoresque;

she gave him money and honours;

postremo servi, liberti, paratus principis

finally slaves, freedmen, possessions of the Emperor,

apud adulterum saepe videbantur.

were often seen at the house of the adulterer.

at Claudius matrimonii sui ignarus.

But Claudius was ignorant of what was going on in his marriage.