What Happens

In Messalina's final moments, her mother Lepida sits with her - a woman who had been hostile during Messalina's powerful days but now shows pity in her daughter's desperate hour. Lepida urges her to die with dignity rather than wait for the executioner, seeking an honourable death since her life is over. However, Messalina cannot summon any nobility - her mind remains corrupted by the lusts that have defined her character. Instead, she breaks down in futile tears and complaints. When the doors burst open and the tribune appears, reality finally hits: "Then for the first time Messalina understood her fate." She takes up a sword but her panic makes her too trembling to use it effectively against her throat or chest. The tribune ends her struggle with a single blow. In a final gesture of mercy, her body is given to her mother for burial.

Historical Context

The concept of "noble death" (mors decora) was central to Roman values - dying with dignity and courage was seen as the final test of character. Many Romans facing execution chose suicide to maintain honour and control over their fate. Mother-daughter relationships in Roman aristocratic families were often complicated by political considerations, but family bonds typically reasserted themselves in times of crisis. Roman execution methods varied, but military tribunes carried out imperial death sentences with swords as representatives of state authority. The fact that Messalina's body was given to her family for burial shows some basic respect for aristocratic dignity, even in disgrace. This detail also allows for proper funeral rites, which Romans considered essential for the deceased's passage to the afterlife.

Questions to Consider

• How does the reconciliation between Messalina and her mother in these final moments add emotional depth to the scene?
• What is the significance of Tacitus noting this was the first time Messalina truly understood her situation?
• How does Messalina's failure to achieve a "noble death" serve as a final judgment on her character?
• What does the contrast between her mother's dignity and Messalina's panic reveal about different responses to crisis?
• How does the brief, stark ending "The body was granted to the mother" provide closure while suggesting themes of family, mercy, and human dignity?