Messalina

Messalina novo et quasi insano amore incensa est. nam in C. Silium, iuventutis Romanae pulcherrimum, ita exarserat ut Iuniam Silanam, nobilem feminam, matrimonio eius exturbaret liberoque adultero potiretur.

Messalina was set on fire by a strange and as it were insane love. For she had been so inflamed with love for Gaius Silius, the most handsome of the Roman youth, that she drove out Junia Silana, a noble woman, from her marriage with him, and took possession of him, unencumbered, as her adulterous lover.

neque Silius flagitii aut nescius erat: Sed intellexit exitium, si abnueret, fore certum et, si consentiret, nonnullam facinoris celandi spem esse; simulque se magna praemia accepturum. igitur placuit neglegere future praesentibus frui.

Nor was Silius unaware of the scandal or of the danger. But he realised that, if he refused, death would be certain and, if he agreed, there would be some hope of concealing the crime; and at the same time (he realised that) he would receive great rewards. Therefore, he decided [it pleased (him)] to ignore the future (and) to enjoy the present.

illa non furtim sed multis cum comitibus ventitat domum, egredienti adhaeret, dat opes honoresque; postremo servi, liberti, paratus principis apud adulterum saepe videbantur. at Claudius matrimonii sui ignarus.

She comes repeatedly to his home, not furtively but with many companions; she clings to him when he goes out; she gives him wealth and honours; finally slaves, freedmen, luxurious furnishings of the emperor were often seen at the house of the adulterer. But Claudius was ignorant of his own marriage.

iam Messalina propter facilitatem adulteriorum ad novas libidines versa est. Silius, sive fatali insania an ipsa pericula remedium imminentium periculorum ratus, abrumpi dissimulationem urgebat: quippe non exspectandum, dum princeps senesceret.

Now Messalina, because of the ease of her adulteries, turned to novel lusts. Silius, whether through fated madness or thinking that dangers themselves were a remedy for threatening dangers, was urging that the concealment be thrown off: for obviously they should not wait for the emperor to grow old.

se caelibem, orbum, nuptiis et adoptando Britannico paratum. eandem Messalinae potentiam mansuram esse, addita securitate, si praevenirent Claudium, qui insidiis incautus sed ad iram celer esset.

(He said that) He was unmarried, childless, ready for marriage and to adopt Brittanicus. (He said that) The power of Messalina would remain the same, with safety added, if they forestalled Claudius, who was slow to suspect intrigue but was quick to anger.

Messalina, non amore in maritum, sed verita ne Silius summa adeptus se sperneret, diu haesitavit; sed tandem persuasum. nomen enim matrimonii concupivit ob magnitudinem infamiae. nec ultra morata quam dum sacrificii gratia Claudius Ostiam proficisceretur, cuncta nuptiarum sollemnia celebrat.

Messalina, not through love for her husband, but fearing that Silius, having gained supreme power, would reject her, hesitated for a long time, but at last she was persuaded. For she longed for the name of marriage on account of the sheer scale of the outrageousness. And having waited only until Claudius set out to Ostia for the purpose of [making] a sacrifice, she celebrates all the ceremonies of a wedding.

igitur domus principis inhorruit, maximeque ei qui potentiam habebant timuerunt ne res verterentur: spem tamen habebant, si Claudio de atrocitate sceleris persuasissent, Messalinam posse opprimi sine quaestione damnatam; sed periculum esse ne ille defensionem audiret, neve clausae aures etiam confitenti non essent.

Therefore the household of the emperor shuddered, and most of all those who had power feared that things would be overturned: however, they had hope that if they convinced Claudius of the enormity of the crime, Messalina could be crushed and condemned without trial; but there was a risk that he would listen to her defence and that his ears would not be closed to her even if she confessed.

Narcissus, occasiones quaerens, cum Caesar diu apud Ostiam moraretur, duas eius paelices largitione et promissis perpulit delationem subire. exim Calpurnia (id alteri paelici nomen), ubi datum est secretum, ad genua Caesaris provoluta nupsisse Messalinam Silio exclamat; altera paelice haec confirmante, Calpurnia cieri Narcissum postulat.

Narcissus, seeking opportunities, since Caesar lingered for a long time at Ostia, induced two of his courtesans with bribery and promises to undertake an accusation. Then Calpurnia (that was the name of one of the courtesans), when she was granted a private interview, having curled up at the knees of Caesar exclaims that Messalina had married Silius; with the other courtesan confirming this, Calpurnia demands that Narcissus be summoned.

qui 'discidiumne tuum' inquit 'novisti? nam matrimonium Silii vidit populus et senatus et milites; ac nisi celeriter agis, tenet urbem maritus.’

He said, "Do you know about your divorce? For the people and the senate and the soldiers have seen the marriage of Silius, and unless you act quickly, the husband has the city."

non solum rumor interea, sed undique nuntii ad Messalinam contendunt, qui Claudium omnia cognovisse et venire promptum ultioni adferrent. igitur Messalina Lucullianos in hortos, Silius dissimulando metui ad forum digrediuntur. illa tamen, quamquam res adversae consilium eximerent, ire obviam et aspici a marito statim constituit, quod saepe ei fuerat subsidium; misitque ut Britannicus et Octavia in complexum patris irent.

Not only rumour meanwhile, but from all sides messengers hurry to Messalina, to report that Claudius has found out everything and is coming ready for revenge. Therefore Messalina and Silius separate, Messalina, to the gardens of Lucullus, Silius, to conceal his fear, to the forum. She however, although disaster was taking away her ability to plan, decided at once to go to meet her husband and to be seen by him, which had often been her salvation; and she sent [orders] that Britannicus and Octavia should go into the embrace of their father.

atque interim, tribus omnino comitantibus—tam repens erat solitudo—postquam per urbem pedibus ivit, vehiculo, quo purgamenta hortorum eripiuntur, Ostiensem viam intrat. nullam misericordiam civibus commovit quia flagitiorum deformitas praevalebat.

And meanwhile, with only three people accompanying her — so sudden was her solitude — after she had gone through the city on foot, she entered the road to Ostia in a cart in which garden refuse is got rid of. She aroused no pity in the citizens because the ugliness of her crimes prevailed.

et iam erat in aspectu Claudii clamitabatque ut audiret Octaviae et Britannici matrem. Narcissus tamen obstrepuit, Silium et nuptias referens; simul codicillos libidinum indices tradidit, quibus visus Caesaris averteret. nec multo post urbem ingredienti offerebantur liberi, sed Narcissus amoveri eos iussit.

And now she was in sight of Claudius and was demanding loudly that he should hear the mother of Octavia and Brittanicus. Narcissus however shouted her down, referring to Silius and the wedding; at the same time he handed over notebooks as proofs of her love affairs, with which to distract the attention of Caesar. Not long after, as he entered the city, the children were being presented to him, but Narcissus ordered them to be removed.

mirum inter haec silentium Claudii: omnia liberto oboediebat; qui contionem militum in castris paravit. apud eos praemonente Narcisso princeps pauca verba fecit: continuus dehinc clamor militum nomina reorum et poenas flagitantium. ductus Silius ad tribunal non defensionem, non moras temptavit, sed precatus est ut mors acceleraretur.

Strange was the silence of Claudius in the midst of these things: in everything he obeyed an ex-slave; who prepared an assembly of soldiers in the camp. Before them, with Narcissus advising him in advance, the emperor spoke a few words: from then on there was a continuous clamour of the soldiers demanding the names of the guilty persons and their punishment. Silius, was led to the platform and attempted no defence, no delaying tactic, but begged that his death be hastened.

interim Messalina Lucullianis in hortis prolatare vitam, componere preces, nonnulla spe et ira: tantam superbiam etiam tum gerebat. ac nisi caedem eius Narcissus properavisset, vertisset pernicies in accusatorem. nam Claudius domum regressus, ubi cena vinoque incaluit, imperavit ut femina misera (hoc enim verbo Claudium usum esse ferunt) ad causam dicendam postridie adesset.

Meanwhile Messalina, in the gardens of Lucullus, was prolonging her life, composing prayers, with not a little hope and anger: she displayed such arrogance even then. And if Narcissus had not hastened her slaughter, destruction would have recoiled onto her accuser. For Claudius, having returned home, when he had grown warm with dinner and wine, ordered that the wretched woman (for they say that Claudius used this expression) be present on the next day to plead her case.

quod ubi Narcissus audivit et languescere iram redire amorem vidit, timebat, si moraretur, propinquam noctem et uxorii cubiculi memoriam; igitur prorumpit denuntiatque centurionibus et tribuno, qui aderat, exsequi caedem: ita imperatorem iubere.

When Narcissus heard this and saw that his anger was weakening, that his love was returning, was afraid, if he delayed, of the approaching night and the memory of his wife's bedroom; therefore he rushes out and orders the centurions and the tribune, who was present, to carry out the slaughter: [he said] that the emperor was ordering this.

missus quoque unus e libertis: is raptim in hortos praegressus repperit Messalinam, humi fusam; adsidebat mater Lepida, quae florenti filiae haud concors fuerat; sed supremis eius necessitatibus ad misericordiam versa suadebat ne percussorem opperiretur: transiisse vitam neque aliud quam mortem decoram quaerendum.

One of the freedmen was also sent: having hurriedly gone on ahead into the gardens, he finds Messalina, prostrate on the ground; her mother, Lepida, was sitting beside her, who had not been on friendly terms with her daughter when she prospered; but having been turned to pity at her final time of need, she was urging her not to await the executioner: [she said] that her life was over and that nothing should be sought other than a seemly death.

sed nihil honestum inerat Messalinae animo, per libidines corrupto; lacrimae et questus inriti effundebantur, cum impetu venientium pulsae sunt fores adstititque tribunus. tunc primum Messalina fortunam suam intellexit ferrumque accepit; quod frustra iugulo aut pectori per trepidationem admovens, ictu tribuni transigitur. corpus matri concessum.

But there was nothing honourable in Messalina's soul, corrupted by her promiscuity; tears and vain laments were being poured forth, when by the force of new arrivals the door was broken down and he stood there, the tribune. Then for the first time Messalina understood her fate and accepted the sword; in her fear putting it in vain to her throat or her breast, she is stabbed by the blow of the tribune. Her body was handed over to her mother.