Messalina lines 1 - 8: Sillus is forced to have an affair with Messalina

For my gcse revision

Messalina novo et quasi insano amore incensa est.

Messalina was fired with a new and almost mad love.

nam in C. Silium, iuventutis Romanae pulcherrimum, ita exarserat ut Iuniam Silanam, nobilem feminam, matrimonio eius exturbaret liberoque adultero potiretur.

For she had burned (with love) for C. Silius, the most handsome of the Roman youth, to such an extent that she drove out Junia Siliana, a noble woman, from her marriage and got possession of an unrestricted adulterer.

neque Silius flagitii aut periculi nescius erat: sed intellexit exitium, si abnueret, fore certum et, si consentiret, nonnullam facinoris celandi spem esse;

Silius was not unaware of the disgrace or the danger: but he realised that ruin would be certain, if he rejected (her), and if he agreed, there was some hope of concealing the deed;

simulque se magna praemia accepturum. igitur placuit neglegere futura et praesentibus frui.

and at the same time, he would receive great rewards. Therefore, he decided to ignore future events and enjoy the present circumstances.