Russia s Catherine the Great was the subject of vicious rumours about her sex life, including the untrue claim that she was crushed to death by a horse when trying to be intimate with it.
Book Review: Messalina, by Honor Cargill-Martin nytimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nytimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
8 powerful female figures of ancient Rome livescience.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from livescience.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Messalina Valeria, third wife of the Roman emperor Claudius, notorious for licentious behaviour and instigating murderous court intrigues. The great-granddaughter of Augustus’s sister, Octavia, on both her father’s and mother’s sides, she was married to Claudius before he became emperor (39 or 40).