ventured, although the major part of his fleet had
been preserved, to cross over by main force: he frequently tried to
effect it secretly, feeling that if he could once set foot on the island,
he could certainly conquer it with his infantry; after a time, since the
vigilant guard kept in every quarter prevented him from gaining anything,
he ordered others to attend to the blockade of Sicily and he himself went
to meet Antony at Brundusium. whence with the aid of the ships he crossed
the Ionian Gulf. [-19-] Upon his departure Sextus occupied all of the
island and put to death Bithynicus on the charge that the latter had
plotted against him. He also produced a triumphal spectacle and had a
naval battle of the captives in the strait close to Rhegium itself, so
that his opponents could look on; in this combat he had wooden boats
contend with others of leather, in the intention of making fun of Rufus.
After this he built more ships and dominated the sea all round about,
acquiring some renown, in which he took pride, based on the assumption
that he was the son of Neptune, and that his father had once ruled the
whole sea. So he fared as long as the resistance of Cassius and Brutus
held out. When they had perished, Lucius Staius and others took refuge
with him. He was at first glad to receive this ally and incorporated the
troops that Staius led in his own force: subsequently, seeing that the
new accession was an active and high-spirited man, he executed him on a
charge of treachery. Then he acquired the other's fleet and the mass of
slaves who kept arriving from Italy and gained tremendous strength. So
many persons, in fact, deserted that the vestal virgins prayed in the
name of the sacrifices that their desertions might be restrained.

[B.C. 40 (_a. u_. 714)]

[-20-] For these reasons and because he gave the exiles a refuge, was
negotiating friendship with Antony, and plundering a great portion of
Italy, Caesar felt a wish to become reconciled with him. When he failed
of that he ordered Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa to wage war against him, and
himself set out for Gaul. Sextus when he heard of that kept watch of
Agrippa, who was busy superintending the Ludi Apollinares. This person
was praetor at the time, holding a brilliant position in many ways because
he was such an intimate friend of Caesar, and for two days he had been
conducting the horse-race and enjoyed the so-called "Troy contest,"
carried on by children of the nobility,