Messalina lines 42-59

GCSE Messalina Set text lines 42-59

non solum rumor interea,

Meanwhile not only rumours

sed undique nuntii ad Messalinam contendunt,

but messengers hurry from everywhere to Messalina

qui Claudium omnia cognovisse et venire promptum ultioni adferrent.

to report that Claudius has found out everything and is coming ready for revenge.

igitur Messalina Lucullianos in hortos, Silius dissimulando metui ad forum digrediuntur.

Therefore Messalina and Silius went their separate ways, she into the gardens of Lucullus, Silius to the forum to disguise his fear.

illa tamen, quamquam res adversae consilium eximerent,

She, however, although the misfortune was preventing her ability to plan,

ire obviam et aspici a marito statim constituit,

immediately decided to go to meet and to be seen by her husband,

quod saepe ei fuerat subsidium;

something which had often been a life-line for her;

misitque ut Britannicus et Octavia in complexum patris irent.

and she sent orders that Britannicus and Octavia should go into the embrace of their father.

atque interim, tribus omnino comitantibus

And meanwhile, with three people in total accompanying

tam repens erat solitudo

so sudden was her solitude –

postquam per urbem pedibus ivit,

after she went through the city on foot,

vehiculo, quo purgamenta hortorum eripiuntur, Ostiensem viam intrat.

she embarks on the road to Ostia in a cart in which the refuse of gardens is taken away.

nullam misericordiam civibus commovit

She aroused no pity in the citizens,

quia flagitiorum deformitas praevalebat.

because the appalling nature of the scandal carried more weight.

et iam erat in aspectu Claudii

And now she was in Claudius' sight

clamitabatque ut audiret Octaviae et Britannici matrem.

and she was shouting repeatedly that he should listen to the mother of Octavia and Britannicus.

Narcissus tamen obstrepuit, Silium et nuptias referens;

Narcissus, however, shouted her down, mentioning Silius and the marriage;

simul codicillos libidinum índices tradidit,

at the same time he handed over note-books as proofs of her infidelities,

quibus visus Caesaris averteret.

by which he might draw away Caesar's attention.

nec multo post urbem ingredienti offerebantur liberi,

And not much later his children were presented to him as he was entering the city,

sed Narcissus amoveri eos iussit.

but Narcissus ordered them to be removed.