When a grandson was borne to him by his daughter Antonia (whom, after the
death of Magnus, he had given in marriage to Cornelius Faustus Sulla,
brother of Messalina), he had the good sense not to allow any decree to
be passed in honor of the occasion.

Messalina and her freedmen swelled with importance. There were three of
the latter in particular who divided the ruling power among themselves:
Callistus, who had been given charge of the records of value; Narcissus,
who presided over the letters and hence wore a dagger at his belt; and
Pallas, to whom the administration of funds had been entrusted.

[-31-] Messalina, as if it did not satisfy her to play the adulteress and
harlot,--for besides her usual shameful behavior she sometimes carried
on a regular brothel in the palace, serving as a prostitute herself and
compelling women of highest rank to do the same,--now conceived a desire
to have many husbands, that is, with the legal title. [And she would have
entered upon a legal contract with all those who enjoyed her favors, had
she not been detected and destroyed in her very first attempt. For a time
all the Caeesarians were on good terms with her and everything they did
was with one mind. But when she slandered and killed Polybius, after
herself making repeated advances to him, they no longer trusted her. As a
result, deserted by their good-will, she perished.] She registered Gaius
Silius [son of the Silius slain by Tiberius] as her husband, celebrated
the marriage in costly fashion, bestowed a royal residence upon him, and
gathered in it all the most valuable of Claudius's heirlooms. Finally she
declared him consul. Now all this though [even previously] heard and seen
by everybody [else] continued to escape the notice of Claudius. So when
he went down to Ostia to inspect the grain supply, and she was left
behind in Rome on the pretext of being ill, she got up a banquet of no
little renown and carried on a most licentious revel. Then Narcissus,
having got Claudius alone, conveyed to him through the medium of
concubines information of all that was taking place. [And by frightening
him with the idea that Messalina was going to kill him also and set up
Silius as emperor in his place, he persuaded him to arrest and torture
several persons.] The moment this was done the emperor hastened back in
person to the city; and entering just as he was he put to death Mnester
with many others and then slew Messalina [after she had retr