6. Messalina 102_127 (primer)

** Hear Latin-Pause Audio-Speak Latin-Speak English-Start Audio **

interim Messalina in Lucullianis hortis

Meanwhile Messalina in the Lucullan gardens

prolatare vitam, componere preces,

< tried> to spin out life, to think up pleadings, nonnulla spe et ira;

with not no [ = a lot of] hope and anger;

tantam superbiam etiam tum gerebat.

so much arrogance even then she possessed.

ac nisi Narcissus properavisset caedem eius,

And if not Narcissus had hastened the killing of her,

pernicies vertisset in accusatorem.

doom would have turned onto her accuser.

Nam Claudius regressus domum ,

For Claudius having returned home,

ubi incaluit cena que vino ,

when he warmed up from a meal and from wine,

imperavit ut misera femina

ordered that the poor woman

(enim ferunt Claudium usum esse hoc verbo)

for they say Claudius to have used this word

adesset postridie ad causam dicendam.

should be present next day toward her case being spoken.

Quod ubi Narcissus audivit

Which thing when Narcissus heard

et vidit iram languescere, amorem redire,

and he saw anger to be growing weaker, love to be returning,

timebat, si moraretur, propinquam noctem

he feared, if he should delay, the following night

et memoriam uxorii cubiculi ;

and memory of the marital bedroom;

igitur prorumpit

therefore he bursts forth

que denuntiat centurionibus et tribuno, qui aderat,

and proclaims to the centurions and a tribune, who was present,

exsequi caedem: ita imperatorem iubere.

to carry out the killing; so the emperor to order.

unus e libertis quoque missus ;

One out of the freedmen also sent; is raptim praegressus in hortos

He hurriedly having gone ahead into the gardens

repperit Messalinam, fusam humi.

found Messalina, stretched out on the ground;

mater Lepida adsidebat ,

her mother Lepida was sitting beside,

quae filiae florenti fuerat haud concors ;

who to her daughter while being successful had been not close;

sed versa ad misericordiam supremis necessitatibus eius

but turned to compassion by the final desperate circumstances of her

suadebat ne opperiretur percussorem;

was urging that she should not await the executioner;

vitam transiisse

< she said> her life to have passed neque aliud quaerendum quam decoram mortem.

and not anything other < to be> to-be-sought than a dignified death. sed nihil honestum in-erat animo Messalinae ,

But nothing honourable was in to the the mind of Messalina,

corrupto per libidines ;

having been rotted through < a life of> pleasures. lacrimae et inriti questus effundebantur,

Tears and useless complainings were poured forth,

cum impetu venientium fores pulsae sunt

when by the onrush of < men> coming the doors were beaten down que tribunus adstitit.

and the tribune stood there.

tunc primum Messalina intellexit suam fortunam

Then for the first time Messalina understood her fate

que accepit ferrum;

and accepted the dagger;

admovens quod iugulo aut pectori frustra per trepidationem,

bringing close which < dagger> to her throat or breast vainly through timidness, transigitur ictu tribuni .

she is run through by a blow of the tribune.

corpus concessum matri .

Her body < was> granted to her mother.