[The following is in relation to the Roman Emperor Claudius Caesar’s third wife, Valeria Messalina.]
[…] the first sign of her truly snake-like nature was only brought to light when she experienced a fit of unprecedented jealousy. On assuming the throne, the gentle, even-minded Claudius had made it known that he wanted his two nieces, Agrippina the Younger and Julia Livilla, recalled from exile in Pontia, where they had been sent by the Emperor Tiberius after their brother, Caligula, had abused and raped them. Agrippina and Julia were the children of Claudius’s brother Germanicus and as such Claudius had promised that he would always keep an eye out for their safety.
Messalina felt threatened by their return. She knew that her husband had always favoured these two women and when he gave them back their estates and had their former riches and titles restored to them, Messalina’s jealousy seemed more than a little justified. She took a particular dislike to Julia, who appeared to be vying for Claudius’s attention. Julia was a handsome woman, well-practised in the art of seduction, and no doubt Messalina could see her hold over her husband slipping away. She swiftly pointed out to Claudius that what he was involving himself in was incest and Claudius, left with no other option, was forced to send Julia back into exile under the Lex de Adulteriis ruling, after which the unfortunate girl was secretly executed, probably on the orders of Messalina herself.
As a consequence for this sorry episode, Messalina took succor from the fact that her plotting had been so successful. Afterwards, anyone who dared stand in her way is said to have become an immediate victim of her cruelty. On her orders several courtiers were put to death and she engineered countless trumped-up charges of treason, adultery and embezzlement. Messalina’s word became law and soon there was no one left in the lad who would dare defy her.
Source:
Klein, Shelley. “Valeria Messalina.” The Most Evil Women in History. Barnes & Noble Books, 2003. 37-8. Print.
Further Reading:
Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus
Agrippina the Younger / Julia Agrippina
Tiberius Caesar Divi Augusti filius Augustus
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus
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