Messalina - Section 7

5 mirum 3 inter 4 haec 1 silentium 2 Claudii : 3 omnia 2 liberto 1 oboediebat ; 1 qui 3 contionem 4 militum 5 in 6 castris 2 paravit . 1 apud 2 eos 3 praemonente 4 Narcisso 5 princeps 7 pauca 8 verba 6 fecit : 2 continuus 1 dehinc 3 clamor 4 militum 6 nomina 7 reorum 8 et 9 poenas 5 flagitantium . 2 ductus 1 Silius 3 ad 4 tribunal 6 non 7 defensionem , 8 non 9 moras 5 temptavit , 10 sed 11 precatus 11 est 12 ut 13 mors 14 acceleraretur . 1 interim 2 Messalina 7 Lucullianis 5 in 6 hortis 3 prolatare 4 vitam , 8 componere 9 preces , 10 nonnulla 11 spe 12 et 13 ira : 4 tantam 5 superbiam 1 etiam 2 tum 3 gerebat . 1 ac 2 nisi 6 caedem 5 eius 3 Narcissus 4 properavisset , 8 vertisset 7 pernicies 9 in 10 accusatorem .

Section 7 Translation: Claudius's silence amid these events was surprising: he obeyed the freedman in every respect. (Narcissus) prepared a meeting of the soldiers in the camp. In their presence, after a previous warning by Narcissus, the emperor spoke a few words: then (there arose) a continuous shouting of the soldiers who demanded the names of the guilty and punishments. Silius, brought into the tribunal, did not attempt a defence or delaying tactics, but begged that he might be killed quickly. Meanwhile, Messalina prolonged her life in the gardens of Lucullus, composed a petition, with some hope and anger: even then, she displayed such great pride. And if Narcissus had not hastened her slaughter, destruction would have turned onto the accuser.