part of the year. Pharnaces did not push his conquests

further in Asia. Some time in B.C. 48 after the defeat of Domitius or early in B.C. 47, Asander, the brother-in-law of Pharnaces, who had been left as guardian of the kingdom of Bosporus, revolted.

The writer of the Alexandrine War (c. 42) now turns to speak of affairs in Illyricum to the time of the death of Gabinius, which I have already described in a previous chapter (xix.).

Vatinius (Bell. Alex. c. 44), who was at Brundisium when he heard of the events which had taken place in Illyricum, was summoned by frequent letters from Cornificius to come to the relief of the province. He also heard that M. Octavius had made treaties with the barbarians, and in several parts was attacking some of Caesar's posts with his fleet; and in others with the assistance of barbarian troops. Though Vatinius was in a bad state of health, and his strength was not equal to his spirit, yet by his energy he made up for the weakness caused by illness, the difficulties incident to a winter campaign and his hasty preparation. Having only few ships of war in the port he wrote to Q. Calenus, who was in Achaia, to send his fleet. As this help did not come in time for the troops of Cornificius, who could not resist Octavius, Vatinius fitted with beaks the vessels which the Romans named "actuariae," of which he had a great number, though they were not large enough to be used in a sea fight. These were added to the ships of war, and the strength of the fleet was increased by putting on board a great number of veteran soldiers from all the legions, who were left sick at Brundisium when Caesar's troops were carried over to Greece. With these forces he crossed to Illyricum, where he recovered some of the maritime towns which had surrendered to Octavius, sailed past others which still persisted in their revolt, and without delay or attending to anything else he kept to his purpose of reaching Octavius as soon as he could. Octavius was attacking by land and by sea the maritime town of Epidaurus (Ragusa Vecchia) a little south of the island Melita; but Vatinius compelled him to retire and saved the garrison. Octavius having discovered that the fleet of Vatinius consisted

chiefly of small vessels, and being confident in the strength of his own fleet took his station at Tauris, a small island on the Illyrian coast opposite to the mouth of the river Naro (Narona). Vatinius followed in this direction, not knowing that Octavius was at Tauris, but being resolved to pursue him wherever he had gone. When Vatinius was near Tauris, and his ships were scattered, for the weather was bad and he had no suspicion that the enemy were in these parts, all at once he saw a vessel advancing towards him with the yards at midmast and full of fighting men. He immediately ordered the sails to be hauled to, the yards to be lowered, the soldiers to take their arms, and the flag to be raised which was the signal for battle; and he also made a signal to the nearest ships which were following to do the same. The men of Vatinius, who were taken by surprise, made ready, and the men of Octavius came out of port. The order of battle was prepared on both sides the line of Octavius was better arranged, but the men of Vatinius had more resolution. Vatinius, seeing that he was not a match for Octavius either in the size of his vessels or the number, would not entrust the decision to the risk of a fortuitous contest, and accordingly he attacked with his own quinquereme the quadrireme of Octavius, whose rowers drove his ship against that of Vatinius. The ships met with so violent a shock that the beak of Octavius' ship was broken.' The fight now began vigorously between the other ships, most of which crowded to the place where the admirals were engaged, and as the ships on each side came to help the admirals, there was a great fight at close quarters in a narrow space. But the closer the fight became, the greater was the advantage on the side of Vatinius, whose men showed admirable courage in leaping from their own vessels into those of the enemy, and the fight being now on equal terms they gained the victory by their superior courage. The quadrireme of Octavius was sunk, and many vessels were

6

The text is supposed by some critics to be corrupt. The sense, if there is any, seems to be that Vatinius would not trust the issue or the event to such accidental encounters as might happen, but he attacked the admiral's (ipsius Octavii) ship in the expectation that if the attack was successful, it might decide the battle.

7 I am not certain what "ligno contineretur" means.

taken or pierced by the beaks and sunk: the soldiers of Octavius were either killed or pitched into the sea. Octavius threw himself into a boat, and many others having done the same, the boat sunk. Octavius though he was wounded swam to his own myoparo, and when darkness put an end to the fight, he fled in the midst of a tempest. He was followed by a few of his vessels which chanced to escape.

Vatinius now gave the signal to retire and with all his vessels safe entered victoriously the harbour from which Octavius had come out to fight. In this battle Vatinius took one quinquereme or penteres, as the author names it, two triremes, eight dierotae and many of the rowers of Octavius. He spent the next day in repairing his own and the captured vessels, and on the following advanced to the island Issa (now Lissa), for he believed that Octavius had escaped thither from the battle. This island contained the finest town in those parts and it was much attached to Octavius; but the townsmen surrendered to Vatinius and informed him that Octavius with a few small vessels had sailed with a favourable wind towards Greece, with the intention of crossing to Sicily and then to Africa. After this success, by which the province was recovered and restored to Cornificius, and the enemy's fleet was driven from the Hadriatic, Vatinius returned to Brundisium with his victorious army and his fleet all safe.

This short campaign and sea fight prove that Vatinius was a brave and skilful commander, and he did great service to Caesar's cause. We know most of him through Cicero, who once in a speech abused him unmercifully (vol. iii. 127). Whatever his faults may have been, his conduct at this time is a contrast to the mean and pitiful behaviour of the orator who was skulking at Brundisium dishonoured and disgraced.

The author of the Alexandrine War, after describing the victory of Vatinius, speaks of the behaviour of Q. Cassius Longinus, Caesar's governor in Spain up to the time (Bell. Alex. 48-50) when he levied a fifth legion. These facts are stated in chapter xix., and the narrative of the affairs in Spain is now continued here.

8 A myoparo is described as a light kind of vessel, such as pirates used. They are mentioned by Plutarch (Antonius, c. 35), and by other writers.

Cassius (c. 51) received orders from Caesar to take his army over the sea and march through Mauritania into the territory of Numidia, because Juba had sent a large force to Pompeius, and it was supposed that he would send more aid. We may clearly infer from this narrative that Caesar's orders were sent to Cassius before the battle of Pharsalia, and this fact is proved by a subsequent chapter (c. 56). The receipt of these instructions filled Cassius with arrogance, and he was delighted with the opportunity of visiting new provinces and so rich a kingdom. He immediately went to Lusitania to bring his legions and auxiliary troops (p. 234): he gave orders for the preparation of supplies of grain and a hundred ships, and requisitions for money to be made, in order that everything might be ready when he returned; and he did return sooner than he was expected, for Cassius was always active, especially when he had any profitable object in view.

When his forces were collected and he had formed a camp near Corduba he addressed the soldiers and told them what instructions he had received from Caesar: he promised every man a hundred sestertii as soon as they had landed in Mauritania: the fifth legion would remain in Spain. After addressing his troops he entered Corduba in the afternoon, and while he was on the way to the Basilica, a certain Minucius Silo, a client of L. Racilius, presented to him something in writing, as if it were a petition, such as a soldier might present; then placing himself behind Racilius, who was on one side of Cassius, as if he were waiting for an answer, he quickly seized the opportunity of slipping between them, and holding Cassius with his left hand struck him twice with the dagger which he held in his right hand. There was a great shout and all the conspirators fell on Cassius. Munatius Flaccus pierced with his sword the nearest lictor to Cassius, and then wounded Cassius himself. Two other conspirators came to the aid of their townsman Flaccus, for all of them belonged to Italica. (Vol. i. p. 9.) Another conspirator attacked Cassius as he was lying on the ground and wounded him slightly. The attendants of Cassius hurried to protect him, for he was always accompanied by men named Berones' and armed veterans; 9 See the note on this word in Oudendorp's edition.

and so the rest of the conspirators were kept off, and Cassius was carried away. The assassin Minucius Silo in attempting to escape stumbled over some stones which lay in the way, and was caught and brought to Cassius. Racilius escaped to the nearest house, which belonged to a friend, and waited there to learn whether Cassius was killed.

One L. Laterensis, believing Cassius to be dead, ran to the camp to congratulate the provincial soldiers and those of the second legion, who, as he knew, heartily detested Cassius. The men raised him to the tribunal and proclaimed him praetor. Every man who was a native of the province or by long residence there had acquired the feelings of a native, and among them was the second legion, hated Cassius. The thirtieth and twenty-first legions, which Caesar assigned to Cassius, had been raised in Italy only a few months before; and the fifth, as it has been stated, was recently raised in this Spanish province. Laterensis being informed that Cassius was alive, was more grieved than frightened, and immediately went to see him. The thirtieth and twenty-first legions hearing of the attempt to assassinate the governor marched to Corduba to protect him, and they were followed by the fifth legion. The other two legions remained in the camp, but the men of the second legion fearing that they should be left alone and that thus their sentiments would be known, followed the example of the three legions. The native legion remained firm, and could not be moved by fear from their purpose.

Cassius ordered the men to be seized who were named as conspirators. He sent the fifth legion back to their camp and retained with him thirty cohorts. By the evidence of Minucius he was informed that L. Racilius and L. Laterensis and Annius Scapula, a provincial of the highest rank and character and as intimate with him as Racilius and Laterensis, were in the conspiracy, and he soon satisfied his vengeance by ordering them to be put to death. He delivered Minucius to his freedmen to be tortured, and also Calpurnius Salvianus who offered to give evidence by which he added to the number of the conspirators; and he told the truth, as some supposed, but as others say, the evidence was extorted from him. Two