would be attacked by the enemy and come off
victorious, or, if their adversaries were unwilling to do this, they
would retire to a place of safety, get a supply of provisions, and obtain
some help from Caesar or from Agrippa. Therefore he burned all the vessels
which had survived from the sea-fight and had been cast up against the
ramparts, and started out himself as if to proceed to Mylae. Both cavalry
and light-armed troops attacked him from a distance (not daring to come
to close quarters) and proved frightfully troublesome to him. For the
enemy came close, whenever there was good opportunity, and again turned
back with rapidity. But his men, being heavy-armed, could not pursue them
in any way owing to the weight of their armor, and were endeavoring to
protect the unarmed, who had been saved from the fleet. As a result they
were continually suffering disastrously and could do no damage in return;
for, in case they made a rush upon any group, they would put the foe to
flight, but not being able to pursue farther they found themselves in
a worse plight on their return, since by their sortie they had been
isolated. They endured the greatest hardship throughout their entire
journey, but chiefly in crossing the rivers. Then their adversaries
hemmed them in as they were going along rapidly, in disorder, a few at a
time, as usual on such occasions, and struck them in favorable spots that
they saw exposed. They were shot at, moreover, whenever they encountered
places that were muddy or where the current was strong, and when they
happened to be stuck for a moment or were carried down stream. [-7-]
This the enemy did for three whole days and on the last demoralized them
completely, especially since Sextus with his heavy-armed contingent had
been added to their attacking force. Consequently the Caesarians no longer
mourned such as were perishing but counted them fortunate to escape from
further torment, and in their hopelessness wished that they, too, were
among those already dead, wounded were far more in number than those
died, and being struck from a distance with stones and javelins and
receiving no blow from near at hand their wounds were in many places,
and not as a rule favorably located. These men were themselves in great
distress and they caused the survivors far more trouble than did the
enemy. For if they were carried they usually brought about the death of
the men supporting them, and if they were left behind, they th