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Episode 12 A God in Colchester Players in this episode are:
| Messalina |
Claudius' third wife. Perhaps the most infamous harlot in history. |
| Mnester |
Greek actor. One of Messalina's lovers. |
| Narcissus |
Claudius freedman and assistant. |
| Pallas |
Claudius freedman and assistant. |
| Claudius |
Fourth Emperor of Rome. |
| Gaius Silius |
Young, ambitious Senator. Messalina's lover. |
| Domitia |
Messalina's mother. Pleasant but spineless. |
| Calpurnia |
Claudius' long time mistress. The proverbial Prostitute with a heart of
Gold. |
Messalina accepts the challenge. |
This episode takes place from 43 to 48 AD - It opens with Claudius absent
from Rome undertaking the permanent conquest of Britain. Freed from any restraint,
Messalina has run wild with lust. Her current favorite, Mnester, a Greek actor, proposes a
"tournament of sex' which pits Messalina against the champion of the Guild of
Prostitutes, Sylla. |
| The participants gather in the Palace and, at three gold pieces 'a head'
for Sylla the contest begins. Messalina wins, of course, and Sylla takes her rather heavy
bag of gold coins and concedes. (They say Messalina was having such a good time at it that
she continued on into the wee hours just for fun.) |
Sylla arrives for 'the games.' |
All Rome is scandalized. Everyone knows except poor old Claudius. Any attempt to tell
him has been countered by Messalina's manipulation, resulting in the death of the
informer. She even gets Claudius to instruct Mnester to do "anything the Lady
Messalina asks. Anything? Anything!" That includes setting her up with Gaius Silius,
whom she promptly seduces.
Claudius' campaign in Britain was brilliant. The Senate votes him a rare Triumph.  Meanwhile,
in the East, Herod is planning a rebellion against Rome. The Governor of Syria brings news
that he's building an alliance and fortifying Jerusalem. Apparently, he believes himself
to be the Jewish Messiah. (The Governor reports briefly about the last failed candidate, a
carpenter from Galilee, who was crucified during the reign of Tiberius.) The rebellion
collapses before it's begun when Herod mysteriously dies after an evil omen.
Messalina and her new lover are plotting a rebellion of their own. She's been flaunting
her relationship with him and apparently believes that Claudius is 'done'. While he is
dedicating the new harbor works in Ostia she divorces him and publicly marries Silius.
 |
At last, someone must tell Claudius or it's curtains for everyone. Pallas
and Narcissus enlist Calpurnia to do it. Reluctantly he believes them and orders the
arrest of Messalina and her followers.
Calpurnia tells Claudius that he's divorced. |
This time Messalina is barred from the chance to manipulate Claudius. They
surreptitiously slip Messalina's execution order into a stack of papers that Claudius must
sign. The guards arrive at her villa and offer her the dagger first. But, she's too wimpy
to use it, so……
Poor Claudius. He's had such rotten luck in wives. I wonder who he'll marry next?
|
