XLVIII.
Sub idem tempus L. Piso pro consule (L. Piso pro consule: Lucius Pisus was rumored to have provoked a revolt in Africa; cf. ch. 38.) interficitur. ea de caede quam verissime expediam, (quam verissime expediam: ‘I will relate as accurately as possible’. quam + superlative to express the highest possible degree) si pauca supra repetiero ab initio causisque talium facinorum non absurda. (si pauca supra repetiero ab initio causisque talium facinorum non absurda: ‘if I will first review a few earlier circumstances not disconnected from the origins and causes of such crisis’; supra or supera, neuter plural of superus, is adj., not prep. ) legio in Africa auxiliaque tutandis imperii finibus (tutandis imperii finibus: gerundive dative of purpose in place of ad + acc. gerundive, preferred by classical writers; cf. G. 429, 2.) sub divo Augusto Tiberioque principibus proconsuli parebant. (proconsuli parebant: unlike the English ‘to obey’, pareo takes dative, like obeir in French.) mox G. Caesar, turbidus animi ac Marcum Silanum (Marcum Silanum: father-in-law of Caligula and former consul, was forced to commit suicide by cutting his throat with a razor. His fate entailed the ruin of Agricola’s father, who had refused to accuse him.) obtinentem Africam metuens, ablatam proconsuli legionem misso in eam rem legato (misso in eam rem legato: the intervention of a legatus Caesaris in the affairs of a senatorial province was highly uncommon.) tradidit. aequatus inter duos beneficiorum numerus, (beneficiorum numerus: ‘the number of appointments’) et mixtis utriusque mandatis (mixtis utriusque mandatis: ‘the authority granted to each of the two being left in a state of confusion’) discordia quaesita (discordia quaesita: ‘the discord [between the governor and the legate] being desired’, i.e. deliberate on Caligula’s part) auctaque pravo certamine. legatorum ius adolevit diuturnitate officii, (diuturnitate officii: ‘the length of office’; the governor’s tenure was only one year; a legate’s duration in office depended on the emperor’s will.) vel quia minoribus maior aemulandi cura, (quia minoribus maior aemulandi cura [est]: ‘because there is greater drive to compete for men of inferior rank’, or ‘because men of inferior rank are more motivated to compete’; aemulandi is objective genitive after cura.) proconsulum splendidissimus quisque securitati magis quam potentiae consulebant.