He answered, imitating my voice again: `In the first place, if I don't want to answer, I won't answer. You can't make me. I'm a free man, aren't I? In fact one of the freest men in Rome.'
`Oh, do tell us, Vettius.'
`Look there! Look there! A thousand Furies and Serpents! Let me go, Dryad, let me go at once. No, no, another time. Can't wait for that sort of thing now. Must get down. Hands off, Dryad!'
`What's happening, Vettius?'
`Run for your lives. I've just seen a fearful sight. No, stop!' Trogus, Proculus, help me down first! But everyone else run for your lives!'
'What? What?
`A terrific storm coming up from Ostia! Run fog your lives!'
And the crowd actually did scatter. Laughing and screaming and headed by the bride and bridegroom they rushed out of the garden into the street a few seconds before my soldiers came galloping up. Messalina got safely away, and so did Silius, but the soldiers had no difficulty in arresting about 200 of the guests, and
later picked up about fifty more who were stumbling drunkenly home. Messalina was accompanied by only three companions. There had been twenty or more with her at first, but as soon as the alarm was raised that the Guards were coming they deserted her. She went on foot through the City until she came to the Gardens of Lucullus, by which time she had sobered somewhat. She decided that she must go to Ostia at once and try the effect of her beauty on me again - it had never hitherto failed to cheat me - and bring the children with her too as a reinforcement. She was still barefooted and wearing her vintage costume, which had earned her hisses and jeers as she hurried through the streets. She sent a maid to the Palace to fetch her the children, sandals, some jewellery, and a clean gown. The quality of the love between her and Silius was shown by their immediate desertion of each other at the first sign of danger. Messalina prepared to sacrifice him to my rage, and Silius went to the Market Place to resume his judicial work there as if nothing had happened. He was drunk enough to think that he could pretend complete innocence, and when the captains came to arrest him he told them that he was busy, and what did they want? Their answer was to handcuff him and lead him off to the Camp.
Meanwhile I had been joined by Vitellius and Caecina (my colleague in my second Consulship) who had accompanied me down to Ostia and after the sacrifice had gone off to visit friends on the other side of the town. I told them briefly what had happened and said that I was returning to Rome immediately: I expected them to support me and witness the impartiality with which I would visit judgement on the guilty of whatever rank or station. The Olympian effect of the drug continued. I talked calmly, fluently, and, I think, sensibly. Vitellius and Caecina made no reply at first, expressing astonishment and concern only in their looks. When I asked them what they thought about the whole business, Vitellius would still only utter exclamations of astonishment and horror such as, 'They really told you that! Oh, how horrible! What vile treason!' and Caecina followed his example. The carriage of state was announced and Narcissus, whom I had directed to write out a charge-sheet against Messalina, and who had been busy questioning the staff so as to make the list of her adulteries as full as possible, then showed himself a brave man and a faithful servant. `Caesar, please inform your noble friends who I am for today and give me a seat in this carriage with you. Until my Lords Vitellius and Caecina come out with an honest opinion, and refrain from making remarks that can be construed either as a condemnation of your wife or as condemnation of her accusers,' it is my duty as your Guards Commander to, remain by your side:'
I am glad that he came with me. As we drove towards the Cite I began telling Vitellius about Messalina's pretty ways and how much I had loved her and how vilely she had deceived me. He sighed deeply and said: `A man would have to be stone, not to be melted by beauty like hers.' I spoke about the children, too, and Caecina and Vitellius sighed in unison: 'The poor, dear children! They must not be allowed to suffer.' But the nearest that either of them came to expressing a real opinion was when Vitellius exclaimed: `It is almost impossible for anyone who has felt for Messalina the admiration and tenderness that I have felt, to believe these filthy accusations, though a thousand trustworthy witnesses were to swear that they were true.' And when Caecina agreed, `Oh, what an evil and sorrowful world we live in!' An embarrassment, was in store for them. Two vehicles were seen approaching through the dusk. One was another carriage, drawn by white horses, and in it sat Vibidia, the oldest and most honoured of the Vestal Virgins: eighty-five years old and one of my dearest friends. Behind this carriage followed a cart with a big yellow L painted on it, one of the carts belonging to the Gardens of Lucullus and used for carrying soil and rubbish. In it were Messalina and the children. Narcissus took in the situation at a glance: he had better eyes than I have and stopped the carriage. `Here's the Vestal Vibidia come to meet you, Caesar,' he said. `No doubt she'll ask you to forgive Messalina. Vibidia is a dear old soul, and I think the world of her, but for God's sake don't make her any rash promises. Remember how monstrously you've been treated and remember that Messalina and Silius are traitors to Rome. Be polite to Vibidia, by all means, but don't give away anything at all. Here's the charge-sheet. Look at it now, read the names.' Look at the eleventh charge - Mnester. Are you going to forgive that? And Caesoninus, what about Caesoninus? What can you think of a woman who can play about with a creature like that?'
I took the parchment from him and as he stepped out of the carriage he whispered something in Vitellius's ear. I don't know what it was, but it decided Vitellius to keep his mouth shut in Narcissus's absence. While I was reading the charges by the light of a lantern Narcissus ran along the road and met Vibidia and
Messalina, who had also dismounted, coming towards him. Messalina was comparatively sober now: she called out gently to me from the distance: `Hullo, Claudius! I've been such a silly girl! You'd never believe it of me!' For once my deafness was of service to me. I didn't recognize her voice or hear a word. Narcissus greeted Vibidia courteously, but refused to let Messalina come any farther. Messalina cursed and spat in his face and tried to dodge past, but he ordered the two sergeants whom we had with us to escort her to her cart and see that it drove back to the City. Messalina screamed as if she were being murdered or outraged, and I looked up from the parchment to ask what was the matter. Vitellius said: `A woman in the crowd. Overcome by labour-pains, by the sound of it.'
Then Vibidia came: slowly up to our carriage and Narcissus panted back after her. Narcissus did all the talking for me. He told Vibidia that Messalina's notorious and unexampled whoredoms and treacheries made it ludicrous for a pious and aged Vestal to come and plead with me for her life. `You Vestals surely don't approve of having the Palace turned into a brothel again, as in Caligula's days, do you? You don't approve of ballet-dancers and sword-fighters performing between the sheets of the High Pontiff's bed, do you, with the active co-operation of the High Pontiff's wife?'
That gave Vibidia a shock: Messalina had only confessed to an `indiscreet familiarity' with Silius. She said: 'I know nothing about that, but at least I must urge the High Pontiff to do nothing rashly, to shed no innocent blood, to condemn nobody unheard, to consider the honour of his house and his duty to the Gods.'
I broke in: 'Vibidia, Vibidia, my dear friend, I shall deal justly with Messalina, you can count on that.'
Narcissus said: `Yes, indeed. The danger is that the High Pontiff may show his former wife an undeserved clemency. It is very difficult indeed for him to judge the case as impartially as it will be his official duty' to do. I must therefore ask you on his behalf not to make things more painful for him than they already are. May I courteously suggest that you retire, my Lady Vibidia, and attend to the solemnities of the Goddess Vesta, which you understand so well?'
So she retired, and we drove on. As we came into the City, Messalina made another attempt to see me, I am told, but was restrained by the sergeants. She then tried to send Britannicus and little Octavia to plead with, me for her, but Narcissus saw there running towards us and waved them back. I was sitting silent, brooding over the list of Messalina's lovers. Narcissus had headed it: `Provisional and incomplete account of Valeria Messalina notorious adulteries, from the first year of her marriage to Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus Britannicus, Father; of the Country, High Pontiff, etc., until the present day.' It contained forty-four names, later extended to 156.
Narcissus sent a message ordering the cart back to the Gardens: the traffic regulations forbade it to be in the streets at this hour. Messalina saw that she was beaten, so allowed herself to be carried back to the Gardens. The children had been sent to the Palace but her mother Domitia Lepida, though lately there had been a coolness between the two, bravely joined her in the cart; otherwise Messalina would have been quite alone but for the carter. Narcissus then told our coachman to drive on to Silius's house. When we reached it I said: `This isn't the place, is it? Surely this is the family mansion of the Asinians?'
Narcissus explained: `Messalina bought it privately when Asinius Gallus was banished, and gave it to Silius as a wedding present. Come inside and see for yourself what, has been going on.'
I went in and saw the litter of the wedding - the vine-leaf decorations, the wine-vats and presses, tables
