Messalina - Worst Wife in History?


Valeria Messalina

Valeria Messalina was the third wife of the emperor Claudius. She was notorious for being an absolute nymphomaniac. She married Claudius in A.D. 38 and bore him two children; Britannicus and Octavia, who were rumoured to have actually been fathered by Caligula as she was a frequent attendee to his many banquets and orgies...

Claudius became emperor in A.D. 41, after Caligula was finally murdered and Messalina, although now empress, did not supress her urges. In fact she became all the more adventurous and behind Claudius's back she had many affairs, many of them at the same time and in the same room. At night she would even dress up as a prostitute and incognito she would trade as a prostitute - such was her insatiable appetite for men. She once challenged the famous Roman prostitute, Scylla, to an all-night sex-athon, whereby the winner was the one who copulated with the most men. Messalina won. She copulated all night and although Scylla gave up at dawn, exhausted, Messalina continued zealously, all throughout the morning...

In 48 A.D. she plotted with one of her lovers, Sillius, to have Claudius murdered and even had a secret marriage ceremony with him. However, one of Claudius's advisors Narcissus, exposed the plot to him. Claudius was heartbroken and could hardly believe his own ears, but was eventually persuaded to have her and Sillius promtly executed. It has to be said that Messalina was given the option of suicide but she could not bring herself to take her own life.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I have to say, I find myself wondering how much of Messalina's misdeeds are fact, and how many are a convenient fiction. None of Claudius' trustees covered themselves in glory in the run up to his death. I can't help but suspect that Messalina was accused of a lot more than she actually did in order to cover the failings of Claudius' lackies.
Friday, 20 May, 2005
Anna said…
Either way, it makes a nice, juicy story.. ;-))))
Friday, 20 May, 2005
Anonymous said…
This is by far the most interesting "Dear Penthouse Forum" letter I have ever read
Wednesday, 09 May, 2012
Unknown said…
Very interesting woman, but one that most men regretted ever meeting. Being that if you were a man whom declined her advances, you got the axe & if you accepted her lustful adventurousness, once it was public record, you got the axe. LoL... WoW, one of the worst damned if you do, damned if you don't scenarios ever, a man's death notice was signed either way.
Saturday, 10 May, 2014
Wordsmithy1 said…
There is no doubt as to Messalina's promiscuity as averred in the historical account, which is corroborated by many sources of the time, both official records and personal writings, among which are a number of brags. By the way, Messalina performed the challenge with the prostitute Scylla publicly in the Piazza del popolo, attended by crowds, from which there were a multitude of volunteers to couple with both women. . . . My, as for the Penthouse remark, wouldn't Messalina have stories to tell! With the right husband, she would have lived to a ripe old age. Catherine the Great of Russia was similar to Messalina. She once spent a night with 6 members of the Imperial Guard, and to keep them quiet, locked them in the shack where the multiple tryst had taken place and where they slept, then burned it down. Unlike Messalina, she practised some discreteness.
Saturday, 28 January, 2017
Unknown said…
Oh, it's more than likely all crap, but come on, you gotta love a queen who can exaust a prostite, run around at night as a prostitute, and have orgies with multiple men in the same room.

It's like the Roman empress who refused to flee her country during turmoil and reportly said that purple makes a great burial cloth, it's a good story.
Wednesday, 22 March, 2017
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