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Messalina: sex, slander & scandal in imperial Rome

Honor Cargill-Martin outlines the sexual scandals and ruthless success of the notorious Julio-Claudian empress Messalina in the first century AD

Published: June 1, 2023 at 7:57 AM

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Even in the ancient Roman world of ruthless politicking, suspicious deaths and high-stakes schemes, the scandalous reputation of Empress Valeria Messalina stands out. The third wife of Emperor Claudius, she has gone down in history as a sexually insatiable schemer, whose cutthroat deeds kept her at the top of the Palatine court. Speaking with Emily Briffett, Honor Cargill-Martin, author of a new book on Messalina, interrogates the rumours that have long swirled around the empress.

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Honor Cargill-Martin is the author of Messalina: A Story of Empire, Slander and Adultery (Apollo, 2023)

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Authors

Emily BriffettSenior content producer (podcasts)

Emily Briffett is senior content producer (podcasts) at HistoryExtra

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