Messala (character)

Messala is a fictional character from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, and its film adaptations, where he appears as the main antagonist.

Messala is a Roman nobleman and the son of a Roman tax collector; he is also Judah Ben-Hur's boyhood friend and turned into his arch-rival after betraying him. When Messala is reunited with Ben-Hur for the first time in five years, their different views and opinions ultimately end their friendship. Later, Messala betrays his former friend when he accuses of him of attempting to assassinate Valerius Gratus.

Five years later, Judah, having survived the galleys, seeks revenge on Messala for betraying him and his family. Judah offers to drive Sheik Ilderim's chariot intending to defeat his rival. During the race, Messala's chariot breaks apart and he suffers serious injuries.

In the 1959 movie, Messala dies from injuries suffered in the chariot race. However in the novel, he continues to plot against Judah long after the chariot race despite being crippled and left in financial difficulty. Messala hires a Northman called Thord to kill Ben-Hur, but Thord allows him to live. Upon returning, Thord lies to Messala about killing Judah. Five years later, his mistress, Iras (daughter of Balthasar) murders him - upon learning the true nature of the Romans.

In the 1925 silent film Messala was portrayed by Francis X. Bushman as an ambitious and ruthless Roman who ceased to care for Ben-Hur long before being reunited with him.

In the 1959 film Messala was portrayed by Stephen Boyd. In contrast with the book, there is a confrontation between Ben-Hur and Messala when Messala asks him to identify rebels. Messala dies in the chariot race - when his attempt to destroy Judah's chariot fails. After the chariot race, Judah sees his rival and former friend. In his final moments Messala informs him that his mother and sister are not dead - but are in the Valley of the Lepers. Judah realizes that Messala was once a good man who ultimately became corrupted by Rome. Judah comes to forgive him when he says to Pilate that his mother and sister's current condition was not Messala's deed - but Rome's. Messala's mistress Iras does not appear or is mentioned in the film.

...
Wikipedia