Messalina biography

Roman empress, notorious for deviously influencing political affairs and for sexual indiscretions, who was executed for an alleged involvement in a plot to overthrow her husband Emperor Claudius. Namevariations: Messallina.

Born in Rome around 23 ce (date is speculative); executed for alleged treason in 48 ce; daughter of M. Valerius Messalla Barbatus and Domitia Lepida, both members of the dynastic Julio-Claudian family; married Claudius, c.

38 ce, who became Roman emperor in 41 ce; children: daughter, Octavia (c.

Messalina biography wikipedia

39–62); son, Tiberius Claudius Caesar Germanicus, later named Britannicus.

Young, attractive, clever, and self-interested, Valeria Messalina found herself near the center of political power in Rome during the 1st century ce.

She exploited every possibility to maintain her position, earning in the process a reputation for being cruel, manipulative, and sexually voracious. Ultimately, she overplayed her hand and paid for it with her