messalina 7+8

interim Messalina Lucullianis in hortis prolatare vitam, componere preces, nonnulla spe et ira

Meanwhile Messalina in the gardens of Lucullus was prolonging her life, and composing prayers, with a mixture of hope and anger

tantam superbiam etiam tum gerebat. ac nisi caedem eius Narcissus properavisset, vertisset pernicies in accusatorem.

even then she was displaying such great arrogance. And if narcissus had not hastened her execution, ruin would have turned on her accuser.

nam Claudius domum regressus, ubi cena vinoque incaluit, imperavit ut femina misera (hoc enim verbo Claudium usum esse ferunt) ad causam dicendam postridie adesset.

for Claudius, having returned home, where he grew warm with dinner and wine, ordered that the poor woman (for they say that Claudius used these words) be present the next day to plead her case.

quod ubi Narcissus audivit et languescere iram redire amorem vidit, timebat,

When narcissus heard this and saw that his anger was weakening and his love returning, he was afraid

si moraretur, propinquam noctem et uxorii cubiculi memoriam; igitur prorumpit

if he delayed, of the approaching night and his memory of the conjugal bed; therefore he burst in

denuntiatque centurionibus et tribuno, qui aderat, exsequi caedem: ita imperatorem iubere

and ordered the centurions and the tribune, who was present, to carry out her execution: this, (he said), the emperor was ordering

missus quoque unus e libertis: is raptim in hortos praegressus repperit messalinam, humi fusam; adsidebat mater lepida

one of the freedmen was also sent: he having hurriedly gone on ahead into the gardens found messalina stretched out on the ground; her mother lepida was sitting beside her

quae florenti filiae haud concors fuerat; sed supremis eius necessitatibus ad misericordiam versa suadebat ne percussorem opperiretur

who had not been on friendly terms with her daughter in her pomp; but in her daughter’s last moments of need she had been turned to pity and was urging her not to wait for the executioner

transisse vitam neque aliud quai mortem decoram quaerendum. sed nihil honestum inerat messalinae animo, per libidinies corrupto

that her life was over and that she should look for nothing other than a fitting death. but there was nothing honorable in messalina’s heart, which had been captured by debauchery

lacrimae et questus inriti effundebantur, cum impetu venientium pulsae sunt fores adstititque tribunus.

messalina’s tears and useless complaints were pouring out, when the gates were broken open by the force of the people arriving and the tribune was standing at her side

tunc primum messalina fortunam suam intellexit ferrumque accepit; quod frustra iugulo aut pectori per trepidationem admovens, ictu tribuni transigitur

then, for the first time, messalina understood her fate and accepted a dagger; while moving this, with trembling, to her throat or her breast in vain, she was stabbed by a blow from the tribune

corpus matri concessum

her body was handed over to her mother