Death of Messalina Flashcards
mirum inter haec silentium Claudii: omnia liberto oboediebat;
Claudius’ silence among these things was strange: he obeyed the freedman in everything;
qui contionem militum in castris paravit.
he prepared the assembly of soldiers in the camp.
apud eos praemonente Narcisso princeps pauca verba fecit:
Among them, due to Narcissus forewarning them, the emperor said a few words:
continuus dehinc clamor militum nomina reorum et poenas flagitantium.
from then on the shouting of the soldiers demanding the names of the guilty and their punishments was continuous.
ductus Silius ad tribunal non defensionem, non moras temptavit,
After Silius was led to the platform, he did not attempt a defence, nor delaying tactics,
sed precatus est ut mors acceleraretur.
but he prayed that his death would be hastened.
interim Messalina Lucullianis in hortis prolatare vitam, componere preces, nonnulla spe et ira:
Meanwhile Messalina was prolonging her life in the gardens of Lucullus, she was composing prayers with some hope and anger:
tantam superbiam etiam tum gerebat. ac nisi caedem eius Narcissus properavisset,
even then she was displaying such great arrogance. And unless Narcissus had hastened her execution,
vertisset pernicies in accusatorem. nam Claudius domum regressus,
death would have turned upon her accuser. For Claudius, after he returned home,
ubi cena vinoque incaluit, imperavit ut femina misera
when he grew warm from dinner and wine, ordered that the wretched woman
(hoc enim verbo Claudium usum esse ferunt) ad causam dicendam postridie adesset.
(for they say that Claudius used this word) should be present on the next day to plead her case.
quod ubi Narcissus audivit et languescere iram redire amorem vidit,
When Narcissus heard this and saw that his anger was weakening and his love was returning,
timebat, si moraretur, propinquam noctem et uxorii cubiculi memoriam;
he was afraid of the next night and the memory of the conjugal bedroom if he delayed;
igitur prorumpit denuntiatque centurionibus et tribuno, qui aderat,
therefore he rushed out and ordered the centurions and the tribune, who was present,
exsequi caedem: ita imperatorem iubere.
to carry out the execution: he said that the emperor ordered it so.
missus quoque unus e libertis: is raptim in hortos praegressus repperit Messalinam, humi fusam;
One of the freedmen was also sent: after he went on ahead hurriedly into the gardens, he found Messalina, sprawled on the ground;
absidebat mater Lepida, quae florenti filiae haud concors fuerat;
her mother Lepida was sitting beside her, who had not been on friendly terms with her daugher whilst she was prospering;
sed supremis eius necessitatibus ad misericordiam versa suadebat ne percussorem opperiretur:
but, turned to pity by her extreme crises, she was urging her not to wait for her executioner:
transiisse vitam neque aliud quam mortem decoram quaerendum.
she said that her life was over and that she should look for nothing other than a proper death.
sed nihil honestum inerat Messalinae animo, per libidines corrupto;
But there was nothing honourable in Messalina’s mind, which had been corrupted by lusts;
lacrimae et questus inriti effundebantur, cum impetu venientium pulsae sunt fores
tears and useless complaints were being poured out, when the doors were broken down by the force of people arriving
adstititque tribunus. tunc primum Messalina fortunam suam intellexit
and the tribune stood there. Then for the first time Messalina understood her situation
ferrumque accepit; quod frustra iugulo aut pectori per trepidationem admovens,
and she took the sword; as she moved this to her throat or breast in vain because of fear,
ictu tribuni transigitur. corpus matri concessum.
she was stabbed by a tribune’s blow. Her body was handed over to her mother.
