Messalina - Section 4

1 igitur 2 domus 3 principis 4 inhorruit , 6 5 maximeque 7 ei 8 qui 10 potentiam 9 habebant 11 timuerunt 12 ne 13 res 14 verterentur : 3 spem 1 tamen 2 habebant , 4 si 6 Claudio 7 de 8 atrocitate 9 sceleris 5 persuasissent , 10 Messalinam 11 posse 15 opprimi 13 sine 14 quaestione 12 damnatam ; 1 sed 3 periculum 2 esse 4 ne 5 ille 7 defensionem 6 audiret , 9 8 neve 13 clausae 10 aures 14 etiam 15 confitenti 11 non 12 essent . 1 Narcissus , 3 occasiones 2 quaerens , 4 cum 5 Caesar 7 diu 8 apud 9 Ostiam 6 moraretur , 11 duas 13 eius 12 paelices 14 largitione 15 et 16 promissis 10 perpulit 18 delationem 17 subire . 1 exim 2 Calpurnia ( 3 id 5 alteri 6 paelici 4 nomen ), 7 ubi 9 datum 9 est 8 secretum , 11 ad 12 genua 13 Caesaris 10 provoluta 16 nupsisse 15 Messalinam 17 Silio 14 exclamat ; 1 altera 2 paelice 4 haec 3 confirmante , 5 Calpurnia 8 cieri 7 Narcissum 6 postulat .

Section 4 Translation: Therefore the emperor's household shuddered, and particularly those who held any power feared lest the state be overturned. Nevertheless they had some hope that if they convinced Claudius about the enormity of the crime, Messalina could be condemned without a trial and overthrown. But there was a danger that Claudius might listen to her defense or that his ears might not be closed to her, even if she confessed. Narcissus, looking for opportunities, since Caesar was delaying for a long time at Ostia, compelled two of his concubines by means of largesse and promises to submit an accusation. Then Calpurnia (that was the name of one of the two concubines), when she was given a secret audience, fell down at the knees of Caesar and shouted that Messalina had married Silius; when the other concubine confirmed this, Calpurnia demanded that Narcissus be summoned.