Messalina Translation All Sections

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Messalina ... incensa est

Messalina burned

novo et quasi insano amore

with a new and almost insane love

nam in C. Silium, ... ita exarserat

For she had been so inflamed for Gaius Silius,

iuventutis Romanae pulcherrimum,

the handsomest of Roman youth,

ut ... exturbaret

that she drove out

Iuniam Silanam, nobilem feminam,

Junia Silana, a noble woman,

matrimonio eius

from [her] marriage with him

liberoque adultero potiretur.

and took [him as her] unburdened lover.

neque Silius flagitii aut periculi nescius erat

Nor was Silius unaware of the scandal or the danger

sed intellexit

but he understood [that],

si abnueret,

if he refused,

exitium ... fore certum

[his] destruction would be certain,

et, si consentiret,

and [that] if he agreed,

nonnullam facinoris celandi spem esse;

there was some hope of hiding the crime;

simulque se magna praemia accepturum.

and at the same time [that] he would receive great rewards.

igitur placuit

Therefore he preferred

neglegere futura

to ignore the future

praesentibus frui.

and enjoy the present.

illa non furtim sed multis cum comitibus

She, not secretly but with many companions,

ventitat domum,

comes repeatedly to [his] house,

egredienti adhaeret,

she is always with him when he goes out,

dat opes honoresque;

she gives [him] money and honours;

postremo servi, liberti, paratus principis

finally, the slaves, the freedmen, the belongings of the emperor

apud adulterum saepe videbantur.

were often seen at the house of [her] lover.

at Claudius matrimonii sui ignarus.

But Claudius [was] unaware of [the state of his] marriage.

iam Messalina

Now Messalina,

propter facilitatem adulteriorum

because of the ease of her adultery,

ad novas libidines versa est.

turned to new pleasures.

Silius, sive fatali insania

Silius, whether from fatalistic madness,

an ipsa pericula ... ratus

or thinking that dangers themselves

remedium imminentium periculorum

[were] a cure for the dangers threatening,

abrumpi dissimulationem urgebat:

was urging for deception to be thrown aside:

quippe non exspectandum,

for obviously they shouldn't have to wait

dum princeps senesceret.

for the emperor to grow old.

se caelibem, orbum,

He himself [was] unmarried, childless,

nuptiis et adoptando Britannico paratum.

prepared for marriage and to adopt Britannicus.

eandem Messalinae potentiam mansuram esse,

[He said that] the same power would remain for Messalina,

addita securitate,

with added security,

si praevenirent Claudium

if they forestalled Claudius,

qui insidiis incautus ... esset

who was unsuspicious of a plot

sed ad iram celer

but quick to anger.

Messalina, non amore in maritum,

Messalina, not out of love for her husband,

sed verita ne Silius

but fearing that Silius,

summa adeptus

having obtained supreme power,

se sperneret,

might reject her,

diu haesitavit;

hesitated for a long time;

sed tandem persuasum.

but finally [she was] persuaded.

nomen enim matrimonii concupivit

For she longed for the name of marriage

ob magnitudinem infamiae.

because of the magnitude of its outrageousness.

nec ultra morata quam dum

Having delayed only until

sacrificii gratia Claudius Ostiam proficisceretur,

Claudius set out to Ostia for the purpose of a sacrifice,

cuncta nuptiarum sollemnia celebrat.

she celebrates all the ceremonies of marriage.

igitur domus principis inhorruit,

Therefore the emperor's household shuddered,

maximeque ei qui potentiam habebant

and especially those who had power

timuerunt ne res verterentur:

feared that the situation might be overturned;

spem tamen habebant,

however, they had the hope,

si Claudio ... persuasissent,

if they persuaded Claudius

de atrocitate sceleris

of the enormity of the crime,

Messalinam posse opprimi

[that] Messalina could be crushed,

sine quaestione damnatam;

condemned without a trial;

sed periculum esse

but [they thought] there was a danger

ne ille defensionem audiret,

that he might hear [her] defence,

neve clausae aures ... non essent.

or that [his] ears might not be closed [to her]

etiam confitenti

even as she confessed.

Narcissus, occasiones quaerens,

Narcissus, looking for opportunities,

cum Caesar diu apud Ostiam moraretur,

while Caesar was delayed for a long time at Ostia,

duas eius paelices ... perpulit

prevailed upon two of his courtesans

largitione et promissis

with bribery and promises

delationem subire.

to undertake the accusation.

exim Calpurnia

Then Calpurnia,

(id alteri paelici nomen),

(that was the name of one courtesan),

ubi datum est secretum,

when a private interview was given,

ad genua Caesaris provoluta

having fallen down at Caesar's knees,

nupsisse Messalinam Silio exclamat;

exclaims that Messalina has married Silius;

altera paelice haec confirmante,

with the other courtesan confirming these things,

Calpurnia cieri Narcissum postulat.

Calpurnia demands [that] Narcissus be summoned.

qui "discidiumne tuum" inquit "novistī?"

He said "Did you know about your divorce?"

"nam matrimonium Silii vidit populus et senatus et milites;"

"For the people and the senate and the soldiers have seen Silius' marriage;"

"ac nisi celeriter agis,"

"and unless you act quickly,"

"tenet urbem maritus."

"[her] husband holds the city."

non solum rumor interea,

Meanwhile not only rumour,

sed undique nuntii

but messengers from everywhere

ad Messalinam contendunt,

hurry to Messalina

qui Claudium omnia cognovisse ... adferrent

to report [that] Claudius had found out everything

et venire

and was coming,

promptum ultioni

ready for revenge.

igitur ... digrediuntur

Therefore they separate,

Messalina Lucullianos in hortos,

Messalina to the Gardens of Lucullus,

Silius dissimulando metui ad forum

Silius - to disguise his fear - to the Forum.

illa tamen,

She however,

quamquam res adversae consilium eximerent,

although the misfortunes prevented planning,

statim constituit

immediately decided

ire obviam

to go to meet

et aspici a marito

and be seen by her husband,

quod saepe ei fuerat subsidium;

which had often been a life-saver to her;

misitque ... Britannicus et Octavia

and she sent Britannicus and Octavia

ut ... in complexum patris irent.

to go and embrace [their] father.

atque interim,

And meanwhile,

tribus omnino comitantibus

with only three companions

tam repens erat solitudo

so sudden was her desertion