LXVI.
Eas litteras Latinius Pandusa pro praetore Moesiae (pro praetore Moesiae: propraetor is the governor of an imperial province, such as Moesia, which approximately corresponded to modern Bulgaria, south of the Danube.) cum militibus quis Cotys traderetur (quis Cotys traderetur: subjunctive in relative clause equivalent to a purpose clause; quis is an archaic form of quibus: ‘to whom Cotys should be delivered’) in Thraeciam misit. Rhescuporis inter metum et iram cunctatus (cunctatus: the participle, being deponent, has passive form but active meaning, ‘having hesitated’) maluit patrati quam incepti facinoris reus esse: (maluit patrati quam incepti facinoris reus esse: ‘he preferred to be guilty of a crime committed than of one intended’) occidi Cotyn inbet mortemque sponte sumptam ementitur. (mortem sponte sumptam ementitur: ‘he pretended that Cotys’ death was suicide’; ementitur as well as iubet above are historical presents.) nec tamen Caesar placitas semel artes mutavit, (nec tamen Caesar placitas semel artes mutavit: ‘Caesar, however, did not change his former diplomatic approach.’ placitas semel artes: ‘the policy once adopted’) sed defuncto Pandusa quem sibi infensum Rhescuporis arguebat, Pomponium Flaccum, veterem stipendiis et arta cum rege amicitia (Pomponium Flaccum, veterem stipendiis et arta … amicitia: Pomponius Flaccus was consul for 17 A.D.; see ch. 41. veterem stipendiis: ‘a seasoned soldier’; stipendium is the pay drawn by a soldier for a year of service, so stipendii is the same as years of service; stipendiis and amicitia are abl. of quality after the adjectives vetus and artus, the latter meaning ‘close’.) eoque accommodatiorem ad fallendum, (eoque accommodatiorem ad fallendum: ‘therefore better qualified to entrap him’; ad fallendum: use of accusative gerund with ad to denote aptitude, purpose. Cf. A.G. 506.) ob id maxime (ob id maxime: ‘especially for this reason’) Moesiae praefecit.