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But he came from Greece to Brundisium, and before meeting with Caesar, fearing that a wolf had entered his camp and killed soldiers, he sailed back to Greece again, using the Parthian affairs as an urgent pretext. But Sextus took hold of matters more eagerly, and sailed against Italy, and while he inflicted many evils, he also suffered no fewer in return. And when naval battles occurred, the men of Sextus were more victorious, with many of Caesar's ships being destroyed in the naval battles, and many also being endangered by violent winds, so that Caesar, wanting to invade Sicily, despaired of this, and was content to maintain the guard of the coastal mainland. But Sextus was even more elated, and he himself was harrying Italy, and he sent Apollophanes to Libya. Caesar, however, was building many ships and was collecting rowers from the senators, the knights, and the common people, and he was enrolling hoplites and was gathering money from all quarters; and he himself was arranging affairs in Italy and in Gaul, and entrusting the preparation of the navy to Agrippa, he ordered him to work it out and to train it. And he gathered the ships and the rowers, and he decked the ones, and trained the others to row on benches. But those in Rome were disturbed both by the dissensions of the 2.409 rulers with one another, and other signs also troubled them, especially that an eagle, having seized a white bird carrying a sprig of fruitful laurel, dropped it into the lap of Livia; which seemed no small sign. And she took care of the bird and planted the laurel, and the one took root and grew, while Livia was destined to embrace the power of Caesar and prevail in all his affairs. And at this time Antony came from Syria to Italy, to share with Caesar in the war against Sextus because of the things that had happened to him, however he did not remain, but having given him ships and having promised to send others, he received hoplites in exchange, and he himself departed as if to campaign against the Parthians. But before he departed, they accused one another; then they were also reconciled, with Octavia arranging the reconciliation. And Octavia was Caesar's sister, who after the death of Fulvia was joined to Antony by her brother, her husband with whom she previously lived having died. And since the mourning period had not yet passed, the penalty was annulled by a decree of the senate. And then, so that there might be a greater bond for them from kinship, Caesar betrothed his own daughter to Antyllus, the son of Antony. And they feigned these things and played a part because of the affairs that were then at hand for them. And they deprived Sextus of the priesthood and the consulship, and they entrusted the leadership to themselves for another five-year period; for the previous one had already been measured out. 2.410 And Antony was hastening to Syria, while Caesar was preparing for the war against Sextus. And Menas again deserted to Sextus, being untrustworthy and always courting the side of the stronger. And Caesar, when spring arrived, set out against Sicily, hoping to surround it with his fleet, and being confident in the number of his ships and in their size and the towers they carried, so that from them they might fight back from a higher position as from a wall. But as he was departing, a most severe storm occurred and destroyed many ships, and Menas, falling upon the remaining disordered ones, burned many, and towed others away. And if he had not again gone over to Caesar and betrayed the fleet which he commanded, the expedition would have been in vain for Caesar even then. But Menas deserted because he was suspected of everything by Sextus; but Caesar no longer trusted him either. But when Caesar had again recovered the fleet, he was brought back to the mainland, in order to transport the infantry of the army to Sicily, when the time was right. And Sextus in Messina was watching for his crossing. And he ordered Demochares to lie at anchor at Mylae, opposite Agrippa, who had been left by Caesar at Lipara with the ships. And they spent a quiet time there,

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δὲ ηλθε μὲν ἐκ τῆς ̔Ελλάδος εἰς τὸ Βρεντέσιον, πρὶν δὲ τῷ Καίσαρι συνελθεῖν, δείσας οτι λύκος εἰς τὸ στρατήγιον αὐτοῦ εἰσῆλθε καὶ στρατιώτας εφθειρεν, εἰς τὴν ̔Ελλάδα πάλιν ἀνέπλευσε, προφασισάμενος τὰ τῶν Πάρθων ὡς κατεπείγοντα. ̔Ο δὲ Σέξτος προθυμότερον ειχετο τῶν πραγμάτων, καὶ τῇ ̓Ιταλίᾳ ἐπέπλει, καὶ πολλὰ μὲν ἐκάκου, οὐ μείω δὲ καὶ ἀντέπασχε. καὶ ναυμαχιῶν δὲ γεγονυιῶν οἱ τοῦ Σέξτου μᾶλλον ἐκράτουν, πολλῶν μὲν νηῶν τοῦ Καίσαρος καὶ ἐν ταῖς ναυμαχίαις φθαρεισῶν, πολλῶν δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ βιαίων πνευμάτων κινδυνευσασῶν, ωστε τὸν Καίσαρα βουλόμενον εἰς Σικελίαν ἐμβαλεῖν τοῦτο μὲν ἀπογνῶναι, τῆς δὲ παραθαλασσίας ἠπείρου τὴν φυλακὴν ποιεῖσθαι ἀγαπητῶς. ὁ Σέξτος δ' ετι μᾶλλον ηρθη, καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν τὴν ̓Ιταλίαν ἐκάκου, εἰς δὲ τὴν Λιβύην τὸν ̓Απολλοφάνη ἀπέστειλε. Καῖσαρ μέντοι πλοῖά τε πολλὰ ἐναυπήγει καὶ ἐρέτας παρά τε τῶν βουλευτῶν καὶ τῶν ἱππέων καὶ τῶν δημοτῶν συνέλεγεν, ὁπλίτας τε κατελέγετο καὶ χρήματα πανταχόθεν συνήθροιζε· καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν τά τε ἐν τῇ ̓Ιταλίᾳ καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ Γαλατίᾳ διέταττε, τῷ δ' ̓Αγρίππᾳ τὴν τοῦ ναυτικοῦ παρασκευὴν ἐγχειρίσας ἐκπονῆσαι καὶ ἐξασκῆσαι τοῦτο ἐκέλευσε. καὶ ος τάς τε ναῦς καὶ τοὺς ἐρέτας ηθροισε, καὶ τὰς μὲν κατέφραττε, τοὺς δ' ἐπ' ἰκρίων ἐρέττειν ησκει. Οἱ δ' ἐν τῇ ̔Ρώμῃ ἐταράττοντο μὲν καὶ ταῖς τῶν 2.409 ἀρχόντων πρὸς ἀλλήλους στάσεσιν, εθραττον δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ σημεῖα αλλα τε καὶ οτι λευκὴν ορνιν κλώνιον δάφνης ἐγκάρπου φέρουσαν ἀετὸς ἁρπάσας εἰς τὸν κόλπον τῆς Λιβίας ἐνέβαλεν· ο οὐ μικρὸν σημεῖον ἐδόκει. ἡ δὲ τῆς τε ορνιθος ἐπεμελήθη καὶ τὴν δάφνην ἐφύτευσε, καὶ ἡ μὲν ῥιζωθεῖσα ηυξησεν, ἡ δὲ Λιβία ἐγκολπώσασθαι τὴν τοῦ Καίσαρος ἰσχὺν καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτοῦ κρατήσειν εμελλεν. ̓Εν δὲ τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ ηλθε μὲν ὁ ̓Αντώνιος ἐκ τῆς Συρίας εἰς ̓Ιταλίαν, ὡς τῷ Καίσαρι διὰ τὰ συμβεβηκότα αὐτῷ τοῦ πρὸς τὸν Σέξτον μεθέξων πολέμου, οὐ μέντοι παρέμεινεν, ἀλλὰ ναῦς δοὺς αὐτῷ καὶ ἑτέρας πέμψειν ἐπαγγειλάμενος ὁπλίτας ἀντείληφεν, αὐτὸς δὲ ὡς ἐπὶ Πάρθους στρατεύσων ἀπῆρε. πρὶν δὲ ἀπιέναι αὐτὸν ᾐτιάσαντο ἀλλήλους· ειτα καὶ διηλλάγησαν, τῆς ̓Οκταβίας τὰς διαλλαγὰς πραττούσης. ἡ δὲ ̓Οκταβία τοῦ Καίσαρος ην ἀδελφή, η μετὰ θάνατον τῆς Φουλβίας τῷ ̓Αντωνίῳ συνήφθη παρὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ, τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ῳ συνῴκει πρότερον τελευτήσαντος. καὶ ἐπειδὴ ουπω παρῆκεν ὁ πένθιμος χρόνος, ψήφῳ τῆς συγκλήτου ἐλύθη τὸ ἐπιτίμιον. καὶ τότε δέ, ινα πλείων αὐτοῖς ἐκ συγγενείας σύνδεσμος γένοιτο, ̓Αντύλλῳ τῷ τοῦ ̓Αντωνίου υἱεῖ τὴν θυγατέρα ὁ Καῖσαρ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κατηγγύησεν. ἐπλάττοντο δὲ ταῦτα καὶ ὑπεκρίνοντο διὰ τὰ τότε σφίσιν ὑπάρχοντα πράγματα. τὸν δὲ Σέξτον τῆς τε ἱερωσύνης επαυσαν καὶ τῆς ὑπατείας, ἑαυτοῖς δὲ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν εἰς αλλην πενταετίαν ἐπέτρεψαν· ἡ γὰρ προτέρα ηδη ἐξεμετρήθη. 2.410 Καὶ ̓Αντώνιος μὲν εἰς Συρίαν ἠπείγετο, Καῖσαρ δὲ εἰς τὸν πρὸς Σέξτον πόλεμον ἡτοιμάζετο. ὁ δὲ Μηνᾶς πρὸς τὸν Σέξτον αυθις ἀπηυτομόλησεν, απιστος ων καὶ θεραπεύων ἀεὶ τὰ τοῦ κρείττονος. Καῖσαρ δὲ τοῦ εαρος ἐπιστάντος ωρμησε κατὰ τῆς Σικελίας, περισχεῖν ἐλπίσας τῷ στόλῳ αὐτήν, καὶ τῷ τε πλήθει τεθαρρηκὼς τῶν σκαφῶν καὶ τῷ μεγέθει καὶ τοῖς πύργοις οις εφερον, ιν' ἐξ αὐτῶν ὡς ἀπὸ τείχους ἐξ ὑπερδεξίων ἀνταγωνίζωνται. ἀπιόντι δὲ χειμὼν συνέβη βαρύτατος καὶ πολλὰς ναῦς εφθειρε, καὶ ὁ Μηνᾶς ταῖς λοιπαῖς τεταραγμέναις ἐπενεχθεὶς συχνὰς μὲν εκαυσε, τὰς δ' ἀνεδήσατο. εἰ δὲ μὴ αυθις τῷ Καίσαρι προσεχώρησε καὶ τὸ ναυτικὸν ου ηρχε προέδωκεν, εἰς κενὸν αν καὶ τότε τῷ Καίσαρι ὁ ἐπίπλους ἐγένετο. ηὐτομόλησε δ' ὁ Μηνᾶς πρὸς απαν παρὰ τοῦ Σέξτου ὑποπτευόμενος· ἀλλ' οὐδ' ὁ Καῖσαρ ετι αὐτῷ ἐπίστευεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸν στόλον ὁ Καῖσαρ αυθις ἀνεκτήσατο, εἰς τὴν ηπειρον ἀνεκομίσθη, ὡς τὸ πεζὸν τοῦ στρατεύματος εἰς τὴν Σικελίαν, οτε καιρός, περαιώσων. ὁ δὲ Σέξτος ἐν Μεσσήνῃ τὸν αὐτοῦ διάπλουν ἐτήρει. τῷ δ' ̓Αγρίππᾳ εἰς Λιπάραν σὺν ταῖς ναυσὶ καταλειφθέντι παρὰ τοῦ Καίσαρος ∆ημόχαριν ἀνθορμεῖν ἐν Μύλαις ἐκέλευσε. καὶ διέτριψαν ἐκεῖσε χρόνον ὑπόσυχνον,