Messalina 1-12

Messalina burned with a new and almost mad love.

Messalina novo et quasi insano amore incensa est.

For she had been so inflamed with love for Gaius Silius, the most handsome of Roman youth,

nam in

C. Silium, iuventutis Romanae pulcherrimum, ita exarserat

that she drove Junia Silana, a noble woman, out of marriage with him

ut Iuniam Silanam, nobilem feminam, matrimonio eius

and had an adulterer who was unencumbered.

exturbaret liberoque adultero potiretur.

Nor was Silius unaware of the scandal or danger:

neque Silius flagitii

aut periculi nescius erat:

but he understood that, if he refused, death would be certain

sed intellexit exitium, si abnueret,

fore certum et,

and, if he agreed, there was some hope of hiding the crime;

si consentiret, nonnullam facinoris celandi

spem esse;

and at the same time he would receive great rewards.

simulque se magna praemia accepturum.

Therefore he decided to ignore the future and enjoy the present.

igitur

placuit neglegere futura praesentibus frui.

She came repeatedly to his house, not secretly but with many companions,

illa non furtim

sed multis cum comitibus ventitat domum,

she is always with him when he goes out,

egredienti adhaeret,

she gives him open honours;

dat opes honoresque;

finally the slaves, freedmen, belongings of the emperor were often seen at the house of her lover.

postremo servi, liberti, paratus principis apud adulterum saepe videbantur.

But Claudius was unaware of the state of his marriage.

at Claudius matrimonii sui erat ignarus.