Don’t mess with Messalina...

Don’t mess with Messalina.

Roman writers missed—or minimized—the extraordinary skills of the commanding wife of Emperor Claudius. They portrayed Messalina, a teenage bride to the 47-year-old emperor, as scandalous and sex-addicted. Ruthless? OMG, yes. Vengeful? For sure. But her real scandal appeared to be overstepping the boundaries of an empress—and adroitly engaging in Rome’s cruel politics.