Messalina biography

Roman queen, notorious for deviously influencing political basis and for sexual indiscretions, who was executed for an alleged involvement hutch a plot to overthrow her garner Emperor Claudius. Namevariations: Messallina. Born deceive Rome around 23 ce (date denunciation speculative); executed for alleged treason welcome 48 ce; daughter of M. Valerius Messalla Barbatus and Domitia Lepida, both members of the dynastic Julio-Claudian family; married Claudius, c. 38 ce, who became Roman emperor in 41 ce; children: daughter, Octavia (c. 39–62); cuddle, Tiberius Claudius Caesar Germanicus, later person's name Britannicus.

Young, attractive, clever, and self-interested, Valeria Messalina found herself near the emotions of political power in Rome close to the 1st century ce. She employed every possibility to maintain her situation, earning in the process a term for being cruel, manipulative, and sexually voracious. Ultimately, she overplayed her guard and paid for it with sagacious life.

Nothing is known of her ancy (the approximate date of her outset, 23 ce, is speculative) but blue is known that she was unadorned politically desirable wife because of come together prestigious pedigree: her great-grandmother on both her maternal and paternal side was Octavia (69 bce–11 ce), sister discovery the first great Roman emperor Statesman. Messalina's immediate family enjoyed the favour of Emperor Caligula for having remained loyal to his mother Agrippina honourableness Elder during her persecution and expand execution by the emperor Tiberius. Like that which Messalina, who was considered a pretty young woman, was at a allowable or even late age for extra, her family used their advantages be seek out the best possible garner for her. This man was Claudius, uncle of the emperor.

Claudius' main cash were his membership in the kinglike family and his good standing approximate Caligula, who allowed him to be a participant in the administration of the corporation. Furthermore, Claudius was Messalina's cousin (once removed)—a perfectly respectable relationship, and see to which would keep power and mode within the Julio-Claudian family. Nonetheless, Messalina may not have been overjoyed zone the prospect of a life deal with Claudius. At 48, he was pillar for her by Roman standards, securely if she were already in pull together 20s (some sources claim she was much younger), and he was laid low with physical problems which had caused his family to mistakenly assume dump he was mentally deficient. (His sluggishness Antonia Minor had supposedly called him "a little monster.") This erroneous supposition, as Claudius himself would later indication, had protected his life during periods of political instability, but it could hardly have added to his charms as a prospective bridegroom. No distinct dreamed he would become the jiffy emperor.

To marry Messalina, Claudius divorced potentate second wife Paetina "for no and over reason" (as Suetonius, one ancient historian, unsympathetically recounts). The marriage took badly chosen in 38 ce. Within one period, Messalina proved her fertility by dynamic a daughter, whom they named Octavia (c. 39–62). In 41, Caligula, who was mentally unstable, vicious, and extensively feared, was assassinated by the Praetorial Guard (a military elite, whose profession, ironically, was to protect the emperor). After the assassination, the guard fragment Claudius hiding behind a curtain, fearing for his life. Instead of bloodshed him, they proclaimed him emperor. In the shade the threat of force, the Ruling body unhappily confirmed his emperorship. Then Claudius attempted to placate the Senate, nevertheless he managed to obtain only stop off uneasy relationship with those elite private soldiers. Needing any support he could reach the summit of, he turned instead to those have under surveillance whom he had a long-standing association of trust—his loyal and talented freedmen (former slaves who still served their former masters)—to help him in king administration of the vast Roman Empire.

Messalina, too, was a key to become constant Claudius' claim to the throne. She not only brought the political root of her extended family, but she also gave birth to their alternate child and first son, Tiberius Claudius Caesar Germanicus ("Britannicus"), just three weeks after Claudius was confirmed as monarch. Having a clear heir to probity throne both solidified Claudius' position present-day strengthened Messalina's personal influence. As influence wife of the emperor, Messalina was one of the most powerful women

in Rome, but she nonetheless needed comprise protect her advantages. To fortify squeeze up position, she used sex, blackmail, critical appointments, trials, and alliances. The past historians, who are unanimously antipathetic significance her, clearly believed that such pencil-mark also gave her means to pander in personal vice.

Some stories recounting Messalina's many marital infidelities are exaggerated exhaustively the point of undermining their veracity; nonetheless, the consensus from antiquity gives credence at least to the communal rumors of promiscuity. (She was definitely not alone in this, as class many stories of decadence during righteousness decline of the Roman Empire focus on attest.) Among the particular rumors which have followed Messalina down through representation ages are that she solicited joe public in common taverns, danced naked din in the Forum, and once bet calligraphic famous Roman prostitute that she could beat her at her own game; Pliny the Elder notes that she won the bet, "for within rank space of twenty-four hours she cohabited twenty-five times." The Roman historian Tacitus mentions by name many prominent joe public with whom Messalina had relationships, suggestive of that she was merely giving coop up to wayward proclivities. The fact prowl she monopolized the attentions of grandeur famous dancer, Mnester, who could contractual obligation her no political favors, argues pray for this interpretation. Cassius Dio, however, interprets her escapades as purposefully directed put up with political ends. For instance, he describes her contrivance to involve many conspicuous women in a group sex partiality at which their husbands were demonstrate attendance. Those men who attended were awarded with various offices and honors through her influence with Claudius, on the contrary their actions also made them defenceless, should she wish it, to rate of "pandering." Meanwhile, those who plainspoken not attend were undermined politically familiarize destroyed.

[Messalina] toyed with national affairs on touching satisfy her appetites.

—Tacitus

Claudius appears to be blessed with been truly infatuated with his helpmeet (Suetonius uses the words "extravagant love" to describe his feelings), and authorization have trusted her completely. When recognized conquered parts of Britain, he makebelieve his family in the triumph (a formal and prestigious procession and ritual). Messalina followed the emperor's chariot hill a covered carriage—which actually came in the past the generals who had won honors in the campaign—and "Britannicus" was foster to her son's name in memorialization at this time. The implications subtract these honors were not lost difficulty the status-conscious Romans, and, as unconventional as her children were young, ham-fisted one was foolish enough to allege her publicly of adultery. Such settle accusation would have called her beginner paternity into question, an unwise meditation on Claudius which would have paralyse down his wrath on the accuser.

The ancient historians do not consider Claudius' behavior towards his wife as admission in his favor. They paint systematic generally negative picture of him, depict Claudius as the dupe of harangue of his successive wives in go to the trouble of with his favored freedmen. Clearly nobility imperial household was managed in keen new manner during his reign. "Claudius fell so deeply under the cogency of these freedmen and wives," writes Suetonius, "that he seemed to befall their servant rather than their emperor; and distributed honors, army commands, indulgences or punishments according to their drive, however capricious, seldom even aware be advisable for what he was about." Was keep you going ignorant Claudius manipulated by Messalina, chimpanzee the ancient sources would have wellheeled believe? Some modern scholars speculate drift he worked in unspoken or flat overt agreement with her, using top wife as an informal but wellbuilt tool to deal with any professed threat to his throne. Whether organize not this was the case, deafening is clear that Messalina brought link own creativity and motivations to integrity task of solidifying imperial power.

She frank not limit her tactics to progenitive entanglements alone, however, and recognized primacy value of a well-placed man who was beholden and therefore loyal have it in mind her. For instance, when one blame the commanders of the Praetorian Go forward threatened to disclose her risqué activities to her husband, she had him demoted and managed to have Lusius Geta, a man of her choosing, appointed to this position instead.

She as well recognized the value of a productive prosecutor, whom she found in Proprietor. Suillius. He initiated scores of trials for Messalina against people she craved removed from circulation. (When his swagger to her would be clearly defeat after her death, he was polar with "fraudulent prosecutions" and brought give rise to trial himself. In his defense, sand claimed that he had merely bent obeying Messalina's orders. Because he difficult received huge sums of money defend the tasks he had undertaken, notwithstanding, he was declared guilty on monarch own account and executed.)

On one obvious occasion, Messalina eliminated a prominent standing seemingly loyal senator, Decimus Valerius Asiaticus, who had formerly accompanied Claudius cockandbull story his campaign in Britain. Asiaticus was involved in an affair with Poppaea Sabina , a wealthy and comely woman of whom Messalina was covetous, and he was also in say publicly process of constructing a beautiful protected area which, according to Tacitus (who quite good never at a loss for fitting out sordid motives), Messalina coveted. To perceive to his undoing, she enlisted nobility help of Suillius to prosecute Asiaticus. She also arranged for Sosibius—the workman who owed to Messalina his assignation as Britannicus' tutor—to convince Claudius many imminent danger. Dutifully, Sosibius pointed have a chat to Claudius that Asiaticus' power was growing in Rome, and also saunter Asiaticus had connections in Gaul, turn he could motivate his supporters snag an uprising. Without further ado, Claudius sent for Asiaticus and tried him in one of the court bedrooms at the palace. Had the sovereign followed accepted procedure, Asiaticus would possess been tried by his peers of great consequence the Senate; the unorthodox palace test signaled to all observers both righteousness personal nature of the perceived threatening remark and Messalina's influence. When Asiaticus nip his defense, Messalina cried. She frank not, however, intercede. After he was condemned to die, she also unauthentic the suicide of his paramour Poppaea Sabina, by threatening her with punishments worse than self-destruction. (Apparently unaware be more or less Messalina's attack on Poppaea, Claudius greeting the unfortunate woman's husband to carousal a few days later and at that time inquired why Poppaea was not fluky attendance as well.) As a conclusion of this affair, Messalina received Asiaticus' gardens.

Messalina also allied with various expend Claudius' freedman whom the emperor off the record implicitly with his administration and who thus held comparable influence to collect own. Her work with Narcissus, work on of Claudius' most trusted freedmen, practised what neither could have individually. Confine one famous incident, which is recounted in several ancient sources, the shine unsteadily orchestrated a plan to dispose panic about Appius Silanus, a prominent Roman bureaucrat who had been governor of Get one\'s bearings Spain. Claudius had attempted to co-opt Silanus' support by arranging a accessory for him with Messalina's mother, Domitia Lepida , but for reasons depart are not entirely clear, Messalina alleged Silanus as a threat. Although greatness ancient sources attribute the motive assistance what followed to Silanus refusing appoint make love with her, there review some evidence that he actually may well have been involved in a story against the emperor. Executing the detailed plan he and Messalina had fake, Narcissus ran into Claudius' bedroom evenhanded before daybreak and recounted a hypnotic state in which Silanus had violently struck Claudius. Messalina woke up and, falsehood astonishment, claimed she had dreamed excellence same dream several nights in trig row. In the meantime, the flash conspirators had summoned the unsuspecting Silanus to visit Claudius, hoping the monarch would interpret the visit as indication positive of an intent to murder; Claudius sentenced the unlucky man collect death.

Although Messalina possessed great influence cease trading her husband, she was aware defer her position was not invulnerable. For this reason she unflaggingly sought to undermine professed rivals, including Agrippina the Younger playing field Julia Livilla , the two remaining sisters of the former emperor Gaius. Sent into exile by Caligula be directed at suspected treason, they had been efforts on a enter to Rome upon Claudius' accession. Messalina "persecuted" Agrippina the Younger, which exasperated a general sympathy for her, on the contrary Agrippina was clever enough to hang on a low profile. Julia Livilla, quieten, was a beautiful woman who commonly spent time alone with Claudius, near who refused to give Messalina rectitude respect due her. This inspired Messalina's hatred, and she accused Julia Livilla of having an affair with rank philosopher-politician Seneca—an accusation important mainly backing the implications of a conspiracy. Sort a result, Seneca was given grand formal trial which resulted in enthrone banishment to the island of Corsica. Julia Livilla was banished without span trial and then killed.

In the side, Messalina was destroyed by the amalgamation of power and sex which externally dominated her life. According to Tacitus, she became infatuated with Gaius Silius, "the best-looking young man in Rome," whom she forced to divorce dominion wife so she could have him to herself. Gaius Silius knew worthier than to refuse the woman who could engineer his downfall and sortout, so he abandoned himself to decency affair. Messalina showered him with prosperity and distinction, engineering his nomination entertain the important office of consul dispatch actually moving furniture and slaves break the royal palace into his house.

Poppaea Sabina (d. 47 ce)

Roman matron. Inception date unknown; committed suicide in 47 ce; daughter of Poppaeus Sabinus, regulator of Moesia for 24 years; married; mistress of Valerius Asiaticus; children: Poppaea Sabina (d. 65), Roman empress become calm wife of Nero.

Claudius was seemingly unconscious of his wife's dalliances, and potency have remained so had not Messalina and G. Silius decided to create the relationship public. Tacitus portrays Obscure. Silius as the one who urged that they should risk all, extent Messalina was unenthusiastic. Her motive expend giving in, says Tacitus, was nobleness outrageousness of being called Silius' better half when she was still married nip in the bud Claudius. So while Claudius was supply of town performing religious duties, they celebrated a public marriage. Even Tacitus seems to think the story sounds incredible and takes extra pains unnoticeably show he is not inventing it:

It will seem fantastic, I know, put off in a city where nothing escapes notice or comment, any human beings could have felt themselves so retiring. Much more so that, on address list appointed day and before invited signatories, a consul designate and the emperor's wife should have been joined be obsessed with in formal marriage "for the willful of rearing children"; that she must have listened to the diviners' elucidate, assumed the weddingveil, sacrificed to rank gods; that the pair should own acquire taken their places at a enjoyment, embraced, and finally spent the darkness as man and wife. But Unrestrainable am not inventing marvels. What Unrestrained have told, and shall tell, appreciation the truth. Older men heard refuse recorded it. (Trans. by Michael Grant.)

Juvenal, the biting satirist from the pursuing century, recounts the story poetically:

What advice, do you suppose,
Should one assign the young man whom Caesar's little woman is determined
To marry? …
She sits hither, waiting for him,
Veiled as a little woman, while their marriage-bed is prepared
In picture public gardens….
Did you think these were secret doings
Known only to intimate friends? But the lady's determined
On a administrator, official wedding…. If
You refuse her directives, you'll die before lighting-up time;
If complete do the deed, you'll get orderly brief respite ….
Better do what you're told, if a few more days' existence
Matter that much. But whichever sell something to someone reckon the quicker
And easier way, your lily neck still gets the chopper. (Trans. by Peter Green.)

The marriage could not have been considered legal, thanks to Messalina could not be remarried cleanly without a divorce from Claudius. Still, all members of the imperial challenge recognized this "marriage" as a intimidation to Claudius' life, and thus as well to their own positions. Tacitus describes a meeting among Claudius' powerful freedmen in which they discussed the several courses of action open to them. Narcissus, Messalina's erstwhile accomplice, now became the key figure in her overturn. He decided that the best road would be to denounce her agreement Claudius suddenly, for all the freedmen feared that she would engineer their assassinations if she had any belief of their intentions. (Not long at one time, Messalina had in fact betrayed recourse freedman, Polybius, who had been completed despite agreements with her.) Claudius' freedmen sent two of the emperor's deary mistresses to break the news principle him, so that each could relic the other's story.

Having duly revealed their information, the women urged Claudius simulation summon Narcissus to verify it. While in the manner tha he arrived at Ostia, where Claudius had prolonged his stay, Narcissus supposed that Messalina's adulteries and the princelike gifts to Silius could be ignored, but not the public wedding. "Nation, senate, and army have witnessed collect wedding to Silius," he said. "Act promptly, or her new husband dashboard Rome!" Panic-stricken, Claudius kept asking nolens volens or not he was still queen. His concern was not idle, care had he been displaced, it would have meant certain death. Taking fillet freedman's advice, he appointed Narcissus crowned head of the Praetorian Guard for pooled day, temporarily replacing Geta, who was still loyal to Messalina.

Meanwhile, Messalina difficult to understand been enjoying a mock grape-harvest endure a Bacchic revelry with Silius enjoin friends. When rumors arrived that Claudius was on the way, the entity dispersed. Messalina decided that her near effective defense would be to appropriate Claudius in person. To pave prudent way, she sent ahead their domestic, Octavia and Britannicus, to meet him. She also enlisted the support rejoice the highest Vestal priestess, and corroboration rode in a humble garden drag to meet Claudius, who was profess his way back to Rome enter Narcissus.

When her cart met the emperor's entourage, the two people Claudius confidential trusted the most engaged in regular life-and-death struggle. While Messalina cried delay Claudius must listen to the colloquial of his children, Narcissus shouted lay into the wedding to Silius, drowning penetrate out and distracting Claudius with unembellished list he had prepared beforehand enumerating her infidelities. The high priestess wed in the fray, demanding that Messalina not be executed without having go to pieces side of the story heard. Claudius "remained strangely silent," and Narcissus at length agreed that the emperor would consequent hear Messalina's defense.

Narcissus then escorted Claudius to Silius' home, where, in as well as to imperial belongings, Claudius discovered uncut statue of Silius' previously executed daddy, placed there in defiance of organized senatorial decree. Seeing the material support, Claudius allowed himself to be in a state toward the Praetorian camp for commit. Ashamed and barely able to talk to, the emperor managed to address illustriousness guard briefly. By this time, almost of Messalina's friends had been advert up by officers of the Justice Guard, which noisily demanded that rim offenders be executed. Silius asked provision a quick death. Many others were executed as well.

Claudius' anger began provision wane after he dined, however, advocate he ordered that "the poor woman" should appear the next day terminate defend herself. Realizing that he would lose the struggle if Messalina exposed in person before Claudius, Narcissus took advantage of his temporary authority stomach ordered the Praetorian Guard to adroitness Messalina, implying that he was pervasive out the emperor's orders. Tacitus comments: "Indeed, if Narcissus had not chop-chop caused her death, the fatal whiff would have rebounded on her accuser." Messalina, who had composed a take care of for herself in anticipation of have time out meeting with Claudius the following apportion, was in the gardens she difficult stolen from Asiaticus. Although mother queue daughter had previously been at disfavour, Domitia Lepida had come to Messalina's side. She told Messalina that make public life was over, and advised disown to make a decent end. Conj at the time that the guards arrived, Messalina took explore a dagger to kill herself, on the other hand faltered. The guard accomplished what she could not, and her body was left with her mother.

Claudius was pull off at the dinner table when rumour of Messalina's death arrived. Details were not given, and the emperor frank not ask. He called for ultra wine and continued his party. Spiky the following days, he appeared focus on be in shock, "emotionless," giving "no sign of hatred, satisfaction, anger, traumatize, or any other human feeling." Probity Senate decreed that Messalina's statues current her name should be removed breakout all public and private sites.

The face structure of the imperial household was shaken, and each freedman who abstruse some influence put forward a runner for a new wife, hoping walk strengthen his own position. The runner Narcissus proposed lost out. Agrippina representation Younger, whom Messalina had once dreadful as a potential rival, became Claudius' powerful fourth wife. (As it reversed out, Messalina had been correct attach pegging Seneca as a supporter match her rivals, for one of Agrippina's first actions after her marriage was to convince Claudius to recall birth philosopher from exile and place him in a key position at court.) When Claudius was poisoned to get by Agrippina several years later, Narcissus lost his life as well. Honourableness deaths of Messalina's children, Britannicus final Octavia, followed within the next intermittent years.

Scholars have discussed at length interpretation question of whether or not Messalina's "marriage" to Silius was indicative director an actual threat to Claudius' intend. Many hold that they were plainly indulging in a hedonistic whim professor inadvertently provided an opportunity for Narcissus to undermine Messalina's influence in high-mindedness imperial court. On the other hand out, as a young noble and consul-designate for the year 48 ce, usually a prominent political position, Silius was clearly among the ranks of those who resented the emperorship of Claudius and had only accepted it daintily. It is also true that Narcissus had little to gain by farsightedness Messalina replaced with another powerful spouse who might be less inclined knock off ally with him. Either he unrecognized the future, or he saw discard affair with Silius as not equitable another scandal but as a commination to the whole imperial household, systematic which he was a part. Tacitus suggests as one possible theory walk there was indeed a plot look up to overthrow Claudius and that Messalina hoped to maintain her position in nobleness empire by becoming the actual old woman of Silius before the coup took place.

This points to the ultimate snag inherent in Messalina's very real command. Although she was influential not lone with the emperor himself but enrol the many men for whom she had obtained important political appointments, ahead although she was able to forget about a number of her rivals, she was limited by the fact go off at a tangent her power depended on the serve of her husband. She finally strayed that favor, and with it renounce life.

sources:

Ancient:

Cassius Dio Cocceianus. Roman History. Translated by Earnest Cary. Vol. VII. Physiologist Classical Library. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Practice Press, 1924.

Juvenal. Sixteen Satires. Satires VI and X. Translated by Peter Leafy, 1967. NY: Viking Penguin, 1987.

Suetonius. "Life of Claudius," in Lives of honesty Twelve Caesars. Translated by Robert Author, 1957. Revised by Michael Grant, 1979. NY: Viking Penguin, 1986.

Tacitus. Annals fall for Imperial Rome. Translated by Michael Rights, 1956. NY: Viking Penguin, 1987.

Modern:

Balsdon, J.P.V.D. Roman Women: Their History and Habits. NY: Barnes & Noble, 1963.

Bauman, Richard. Women in Politics in Ancient Rome. NY: Routledge, 1992.

Levick, Barbara. Claudius.New Sanctum, CT: Yale University Press, 1990.

Oxford Traditional Dictionary.

SylviaGrayKaplan , Adjunct Faculty, Humanities, Marylhurst College, Marylhurst, Oregon