Messalina

• Messalina was set aflame

  With a new and, as it were,

  Insane love.

  For towards Gaius Silius,

  The most beautiful of the Roman youth,

  She had been so inflamed with love

  That she was driving out

  Iunia Silana, a noble woman,

  From her marriage with him

  And had him unencumbered

  By a wife as an adulterous lover
• Nor was Silius unaware

  Of the scandal or of the danger:

  But he understood that death,

  If he refused,

  Would be certain and,

  If he agreed,

  That there was some hope

  Of concealing the crime;

  And at the same time he would

  Receive great rewards.

  Therefore, he decided to ignore the future

  And enjoy the present
• She came repeatedly to the house,

  Not furtively but with many companions,

  She was always with him as he left,

  She gave him riches and honours;

  Finally, the slaves, the freedmen,

  The luxurious furnishings of the emperor

  Began to be seen often at the

  Adulterers house.

  But Claudius was ignorant of

  The state of his own marriage.
• Already Messalina, 

  Because of the ease of the adulteries,

  Turned to new pleasures.

  Silius, whether because of a fatal madness

  To thinking that dangers themselves

  Were a cure for the dangers

  Threatening him, was urging

  That concealment be thrown off:

  He said that obviously it did not

  Need to be waited for until

  The emperor grew old.

  He said that he was 

  Unmarried, childless,

  Prepared for marriage and

  For adopting Britannicus.
• He said that the same power

  Would remain for Messalina,

  With security added,

  If they forestalled Claudius,

  Who was slow to suspect intrigue

  But quick to anger.

  Messalina, not through love for her husband,

  But fearing that Silius,

  Having obtained supreme power,

  Would reject her, hesitated for a long time;

  But at last she was persuaded.
• For she longed for

  The name of marriage

  On account of the

  Magnitude of the outrageousness.

  And having delayed only

  Until Claudius set out to Ostia

  For the purpose of a sacrifice,

  She celebrated all

  The ceremonies of marriage.
• And so the Emperors household shuddered,

  And most of all those who

  Held power were afraid

  That there would be a coup:

  However, they had a hope that,

  If they persuaded Claudius

  Of the enormity of the crime,

  Messalina, having been damned,

  Could be crushed without trial;

  But they believed that

  There was a danger

  That he would hear her defence,

  And that his ears would not be closed

  To her even if

  She were confessing.
• Narcissus, looking for opportunities,

  While Caesar was delaying

  for a long time at Ostia,

  Prevailed upon two of his courtesans

  With bribery and promises

  To undertake an accusation.

  Then Calpurnia

  (That was the name of one of the courtesans),

  When a private interview was given,

  Having fallen down at the knees of Caesar

  Shouted that Messalina had married Silius;

  When the other courtesan confirmed this,

  Calpurnia demanded that

  Narcissus be summoned.
• He said

  “Do you know about your divorce?

  For the people and the senate

  And the soldiers

  Saw Silius’ marriage;

  And unless you act quickly,

  Her husband holds the city.”
• Meanwhile, not just rumour,

  But messengers on all side

  Hurried to Messalina,

  Who reported that Claudius

  Had found out everything and

  That he was coming for revenge.

  Therefore, they went in different directions,

  Messalina to the gardens of Lucullus

  And Silius to the forum,

  In order to conceal their fear.
• She however,

  Although the misfortunes

  Were taking away

  Her ability to plan,

  Decided to meet and to be seen

  By her husband at once,

  Because he had often

  Been a means of salvation to her;

  And she sent orders

  That Britannicus and Octavia

  Should go into

  The embrace of their father.
• And meanwhile, with only 

  Three people accompanying her –

  So sudden was her solitude – 

  After she went through the city on foot,

  And by cart,

  In which the refuse of the gardens

  Was being taken away, 

  She embarked on the road

  To Ostia.

  She aroused no pity

  From the citizens 

  Because the appalling 

  Nature of the scandal

  Was carrying more weight.
• And now she was

  In the sight of Claudius

  And was demanding loudly

  That he listen to the

  Mother of Octavia and Britannicus.

  However, Narcissus shouted against her,

  Recalling Silius and the marriage;

  At the same time he handed

  Over notebooks as proof

  Of their infidelities,

  With which to distract

  The attention of Claudius.

  And not long afterwards,

  His children were being brought

  Forward to him

  As he entered Rome,

  But Narcissus ordered that

  They be removed.
• What were the three things that knew?

  The people, the senate and the soldiers
• Who were afraid?

  Those who held power