When the message reached him, Claudius entrusted domestic affairs (including the management of the soldiers) to his colleague Vitellius, whom he had caused to become consul like himself for the entire six months’ period, and started himself on the expedition.  He sailed down the river to Ostia, and from there followed the coast to Massilia.  Thence advancing partly by land and partly along the water courses he came to the ocean and crossed over to Britain, where he joined the legions that were waiting for him near the Thames.  Taking charge of these he crossed the stream, and encountering the barbarians, who had gathered at his approach, he defeated them in a pitched battle and captured Camulodunum, the capital of Cynobelinus.  Next he extended his authority over numerous tribes, in some cases by treaty, in others by force, and was frequently, contrary to precedent, saluted as imperator.  The usual practice is that no single person may receive this title more than once from one and the same war.  He deprived those he conquered of their arms and assigned them to the attention of Plautius, bidding him to subjugate the regions that were left.  Claudius himself now hastened back to Rome, sending ahead the news of the victory by his sons-in-law, Magnus and Silanus.

[-22-] The senate on learning of his achievement gave him the title of Britannicus and allowed him to celebrate a triumph.

[A.D. 44 (a. u. 796)]

They voted also that there should be an animal festival commemorating the event and that an arch bearing a trophy should be erected in the City and a second in Gaul, because it was from that district that he had set sail in crossing over to Britain.  They bestowed on his son the same honorific title as upon him, so that Claudius was known in a way as Britannicus Proper.  Messalina was granted the same privilege of front seats as Livia had enjoyed and also the use of the carpentum.  These were the honors bestowed upon the imperial family.

The memory of Gaius disgusted the senators so much that they resolved that all the bronze coinage which had his image stamped upon it should be melted down.  Though this was done, yet the bronze was converted to no better use, for Messalina made statues of Mnester the dancer out of it.  Inasmuch as the latter had once been on intimate terms with Gaius, she made this offering as a mark of gratitude for his consenting to a liaison with her.  She had been madly enamored of him, and when she found herself unable in any way either by promises or by frightening him to persuade him to have intercourse with her, she had a talk with her husband and asked him that the man might be forced to obey her, pretending that she wanted his help for some different purpose.  Claudius accordingly told him to do whatsoever he should be ordered by Messalina.  On these terms he agreed to enjoy her, alleging that he had been commanded to do so by her husband.  Messalina adopted this same method with numerous other men, and committed adultery feigning that Claudius knew what was taking place and countenanced her unchastity.