Messalina lines 1-26

Messalina was on fire with a new and as it were insane love.

Messalina novo et quasi insano amore incensa est.

For she had become enflamed with love for C. Silius, the most handsome of the Roman youth, in such a way

nam in C. Silium, iuventutis Romanae pulcherrimum, ita exarserat.

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

ut Iuniam Silanam, nobilem feminam, matrimonio eius exturbaret.

and took possession of a free adulterer.

liberoque adultero potiretur.

Nor was Silius unaware of the scandal or the danger:

neque Silius flagitii aut periculi nescius erat:

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

sed intellexit exitium, si abnueret, fore certum.

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

et, si consentiret, nonnullam facinoris celandi spem esse;

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

simulque se magna praemia accepturum.

Therefore he decided to neglect the future, to enjoy the present.

igitur placuit neglegere futura, praesentibus frui.

She, not furtively, but with many companions

illa non furtim sed multis cum comitibus.

comes repeatedly to his house;

ventitat domum;

she clings to him when he went out;

egredienti adhaeret;

she gives him resources and honours;

dat opes honoresque;

finally the slaves, the freedmen, the property of the emperor

postremo servi, liberti, paratus principis

were often seen at the adulterer's house.

apud adulterum saepe videbantur.

But Claudius was ignorant about his own marriage.

at Claudius matrimonii sui erat ignarus.

Now Messalina on account of the ease of her adulteries

iam Messalina propter facilitatem adulteriorum

turned to new lusts.

ad novas libidines versa est.

Silius, whether through fatal madness

Silius, sive fatali insania

or thinking that dangers themselves were a cure for threatening dangers,

an ipsa pericula remedium imminentium periculorum ratus,

urged that concealment should be broken off:

abrumpi dissimulationem urgebat:

for obviously they did not need to wait until the emperor should grow old.

quippe non exspectandum, dum princeps senesceret.

He said that he was unmarried, childless, prepared for a wedding and for adopting Britannicus.

se caelibem, orbum, nuptiis et adoptando Britannico paratum.

Messalina's power would remain the same,

eandem Messalinae potentiam mansuram esse,

with security added,

addita securitate,

if they acted before Claudius,

si praevenirent Claudium,

who was unsuspicious of plots but swift to anger.

qui insidiis incautus sed ad iram celer esset.

Messalina, not through love for her husband,

Messalina, non amore in maritum,

but fearing that Silius, having obtained the highest power, would reject her,

sed verita ne Silius summa adeptus se sperneret,

hesitated for a long time; but at last she was persuaded.

diu haesitavit; sed tandem persuasum.

For she eagerly desired the name of marriage because of the scale of the outrageousness.

nomen enim matrimonii concupivit ob magnitudinem infamiae.

And she only delayed until Claudius set out for Ostia for the purpose of a sacrifice,

nec ultra morata quam dum sacrificii gratia Claudius Ostiam proficisceretur,

and she celebrated all the ceremonies of marriage.

cuncta nuptiarum sollemnia celebrat.