Messalina - Section 9

1 adsidebat 2 mater 3 Lepida , 4 quae 9 florenti 8 filiae 5 haud 7 concors 6 fuerat ; 1 sed 3 supremis 2 eius 4 necessitatibus 6 ad 7 miserationem 5 versa 8 suadebat 9 ne 11 percussorem 10 opperiretur : 2 transiisse 1 vitam 4 neque 5 aliud 6 quam 8 mortem 7 decoram 3 quaerendum . 1 sed 3 nihil 4 honestum 2 inerat 6 Messalinae 5 animo 8 per 9 libidines 7 corrupto ; 1 lacrimae 2 et 4 questus 3 inriti 5 effundebantur , 6 cum 9 impetu 10 venientium 8 pulsae 7 sunt 7 fores 13 11 adstitistque 12 tribunus . 1 tunc 2 primum 3 Messalina 6 fortunam 5 suam 4 intellexit 9 7 ferrumque 8 accepit ; 2 quod 3 frustra 4 iugulo 5 aut 6 pectori 7 per 8 trepidationem 1 admovens , 11 ictu 10 tribuni 9 transigitur . 1 corpus 3 matri 2 concessum .

Section 9 Translation: Sitting beside her was her mother Lepida, who had not been in harmony with her daughter when she was flourishing, but in her final (hours of) need, having turned to pity, she advised her not to wait for an assassin: her life was past, and she should not seek anything other than a noble death. But there was nothing honourable in Messalina's mind, which was corrupted by her lusts; tears and futile complaints were pouring forth, when the doors were struck by the force of those arriving and the tribune stood nearby. Then for the first time Messalina recognised her fate and took up the sword; applying this in vain to her throat or chest because of her panic, she was pierced by the tribune's blow. The body was granted to the mother.