citizens in Capua had taken up arms and treated him as an enemy. Accordingly he desisted from his enterprise and went

away.

In the meantime Milo sent letters round to the Municipia, in which he said that he was acting under the orders of Pompeius which he had received through Vibullius, and he endeavoured to stir up those who were labouring under debt, but he did not succeed. He then broke open some ergastula, the places in which field-slaves were confined, and made an attack on Cosa somewhere in the territory of Thurii, where he was struck with a stone from the walls and an end was put to his restless life. Caelius who had set out, as he said, to go to Caesar, on arriving at Thurii attempted to corrupt some of the inhabitants of the place: he also promised money to Caesar's Gallic and Spanish cavalry, who had been placed there as a garrison, but these men put him to death. Thus, says Caesar, the beginnings of great enterprises, which kept Italy uneasy at a time when the magistrates had enough to do and circumstances caused much trouble, had a speedy and easy termination.

Caesar places these events as occurring in Italy at the time when the two armies were encamped on opposite sides of the Apsus.

Plutarch (Caesar, c. 38), Appian (B. C. ii. 57), and Dion (41. c. 46) report a strange adventure of Caesar. When he was at Apollonia and very uneasy about the ships, which he was expecting from Italy, he resolved without informing any person of his design to pass over to Brundisium. Disguising himself as a slave he embarked by night in a twelve-oared boat and throwing himself down lay quiet. The boat descended a river, which Plutarch names the Anius; probably he means the Aous. But the swell at the mouth of the river, which was caused by a wind blowing from the sea all night, made it impossible for the boat to advance, and the master ordered the men to turn the boat round. Caesar then discovered himself, and said to the master, "Have courage and fear not you carry Caesar and his fortunes in your boat." The sailors now renewed their efforts to get out of the river, but after the boat had taken much water and run great risk, Caesar unwillingly

agreed to put back. On his return the soldiers blamed him for exposing himself to such danger on account of those on the other side of the sea, and not trusting in the men whom he had with him. Appian improves the defective story of Plutarch by saying that Caesar sent before him three slaves to hire a boat and a skilful master for the purpose of carrying over the sea a messenger from Caesar. Appian's narrative in other respects differs a little from Plutarch's, but he does not forget to mention the words of encouragement to the master, "You carry Caesar and Caesar's fortune." Dion fixes the time of this adventure before the death of Bibulus and the encampment of the two armies on opposite sides of the Apsus. Appian, who is always careless and inaccurate as to the matter of time, places this adventure after the two armies were face to face on the river Alor, which ought clearly to have been named Apsus. But it is impossible to admit that Caesar would have left his troops on the Apsus in the presence of such generals as Pompeius and Labienus, when he had no legatus fit to command an army, or even if he had. He says nothing himself about this unsuccessful attempt. Lucan (v. 504) makes a most tedious story of it, and Suetonius (Caesar, c. 58) briefly mentions it.

We must conclude that there was a well-known story of this daring adventure, but we cannot say whether the story was true or false. Caesar did send messages to Brundisium, and it is possible that some unsuccessful attempt of some person to cross the sea is the foundation of the story; but we cannot hazard any conjecture about the famous words which. are attributed to Caesar. Florus of course did not forget them (iv. 2. 37).

CHAPTER XI.

ANTONIUS JOINS CAESAR.

B.C. 48.

LIBO setting sail from Oricum with his fleet of fifty ships arrived at Brundisium and took possession of an island which is opposite to the town, for he thought that it was better to occupy a single spot which Caesar's troops must pass, if they came out of the port, than to blockade all the shores and harbours. The island is one of those which are in front of the outer port of Brundisium. As Libo came unexpectedly, he seized some merchant-ships which he burnt, and he carried off one laden with corn. His arrival alarmed the troops in Brundisium; and landing by night some soldiers and archers he dislodged a body of cavalry from their post. He succeeded so well by seizing this convenient position that he wrote to tell Pompeius, that he might, if he chose, haul up and repair the rest of the ships, for his own fleet was sufficient to prevent Caesar's troops from crossing the sea (c. 23).

M. Antonius, who was then at Brundisium, trusting in the courage of his men took about sixty boats belonging to the ships of war and protected them with hurdles and blinds. He put on board picked soldiers, and placed the boats separately in various places along the coast. Two triremes, which he had built at Brundisium, were then sent to the entrance of the port under the pretext of exercising the rowers. Libo seeing these vessels advance boldly, and hoping to intercept them, sent forward five quadriremes; but as soon as they had come near

the ships of Antonius, the veterans on board began to retreat into the harbour, whither the enemy, eager in the pursuit, incautiously followed. Antonius now gave the signal to the boats, which coming from all points against Libo's vessels immediately took one with the rowers and all the men, and compelled the rest to make a disgraceful retreat. In addition to this damage inflicted on Libo's fleet Antonius by placing horsemen along the coast prevented the enemy from getting water; which is very scarce in these parts. In consequence of this difficulty and the loss which he had suffered, Libo left Brundisium and abandoned the blockade.

Many months had now passed, the winter was at an end, and the ships and legions had not arrived from Brundisium. Dion (41. c. 46) asserts that Caesar suspected the fidelity of M. Antonius and others; but it is Dion's fashion to suspect everybody. Caesar does not say that he distrusted Antonius; and if he had done so, he would not have published it to the world, and I conclude that Dion has asserted as a fact that which he could not know. Some opportunities for sailing, as Caesar thought, had been neglected, for the winds had often been favourable, and it was necessary to run the risk. The longer the attempt to make the passage was delayed, the more vigilant were the naval commanders of the enemy in watching the coast, and the more confident they were in their ability to prevent the landing of Caesar's troops. Pompeius frequently by letter charged them, as they had not prevented Caesar from coming, to take care to stop the rest of his men and they might do this more easily as the stormy season, which was unfavourable for crossing the sea, might be daily expected. Caesar's troops by waiting for gentler winds would really have a more difficult season for crossing the sea. For these reasons Caesar wrote sharply to his commanders at Brundisium, that when they had a fair wind they should not neglect the opportunity, if they could direct their course to the shores of the

1 This passage is difficult. I have attempted to give the sense, but not to translate it. Kraner has changed “lenioribus” in the text to “pejoribus” and "expectabant" to " expectabatur;" which is bad. The suggestion of Terpstra, mentioned by Kraner, to place the words " duriusque cotidie expectabant " after "committendum existimabat" is ingenious, but not necessary.

territory of Apollonia and drive their ships ashore there; for these parts were less watched by the enemy, who did not venture to go a great distance from the harbours.

M. Antonius and Fufius Calenus now made ready to leave Brundisium, and the soldiers themselves strongly urged them to set sail they were ready to run any risk to save Caesar. Accordingly the troops embarked with a south wind and on the next day sailed past Apollonia. The ships being seen from the land, Coponius who commanded the Rhodian fleet at Dyrrhachium, brought his vessels out of port, and, as the wind was slack, he came near to Caesar's fleet, but the south wind freshened again and helped the ships of Antonius. Coponius however did not give up the pursuit, but he hoped by the exertions of his rowers to deprive the enemy's ships of the advantage of the wind, and when they had passed Dyrrhachium in a strong gale he still followed. The ships of Antonius were favoured by fortune, but still they were afraid of the enemy, if by chance the wind should fall. However they reached a harbour named Nymphaeum, which is three miles north of Lissus and brought their ships into it. Lissus is at the mouth of the Drilo (Drino): the modern name of Lissus according to Goeler, is Alessio; other authorities name it Lesch. This port of Nymphaeum, says Caesar, was protected against the south-west wind, but not safe against a south wind. Caesar's men however thought the danger from the wind to be less than the danger from the enemy's fleet. As soon as the ships were in the port of Nymphaeum, by wonderful good fortune, the south wind which had blown two days, turned to the south-west (c. 26).

Caesar observes that this was an instance of the sudden turn of fortune; for those who had been in great danger were sheltered in a safe port, and those, who had threatened his ships with destruction, were driven to look after their own safety. The storm, which protected the ships in port, fell with such fury on the Rhodian fleet that all their decked vessels, sixteen in number, were wrecked; part of the numerous body of rowers and fighting men were dashed on the rocks and killed, and part were saved by Caesar's men. All who thus escaped were sent home by Caesar's orders.