What Happens

The dramatic tension reaches its peak as Claudius returns home and wine loosens his resolve. After dining and drinking, he orders that "the wretched woman" should appear the next day to defend herself - Tacitus specifically notes this contemptuous phrase was actually used by Claudius. This moment of apparent mercy terrifies Narcissus, who sees Claudius's anger cooling and his love for Messalina returning. Realising that a night's delay might completely change the emperor's mind - especially if he remembers their shared bedroom - Narcissus acts with desperate speed. He bursts out to the military officers and orders them to execute Messalina immediately, claiming these are the emperor's orders. Meanwhile, a freedman races ahead to the gardens and discovers Messalina collapsed on the ground, showing she has finally grasped the hopelessness of her situation.

Historical Context

The combination of food and wine affecting judgment was a common concern in Roman political contexts - many important decisions were influenced by symposium settings. Roman law normally required the accused to appear and present a defence, so Claudius's order for a trial was legally proper. However, Narcissus's fear of the "memory of the marital bedroom" reflects real Roman marriage dynamics where physical intimacy could override political considerations. Freedmen like Narcissus operated in a dangerous position - they had great power but remained vulnerable to their patron's changing moods. His claim that "the emperor orders this" shows how imperial authority could be manipulated when the emperor was indecisive. The swift dispatch of multiple agents (centurions, tribune, and freedman) reflects the urgency of imperial executions, which needed to be completed before orders could be countermanded.

Questions to Consider

• How does Claudius's use of "wretched woman" instead of his wife's name show his psychological state and attempt at emotional distance?
• What does Narcissus's fear of "the approaching night and the memory of the marital bedroom" reveal about the power of intimate relationships over political decisions?
• How does Narcissus's lie that "the emperor orders this" expose the manipulation possible in imperial government?
• What does the image of Messalina "prostrate on the ground" suggest about how completely her power and pride have finally collapsed?
• How does Tacitus create dramatic irony by showing us both Claudius's mercy and Narcissus's deception simultaneously?