the greatest aid to them before, was now among the chief agencies in promoting disaster.  All through it the wind blew violently, tearing the vessels from their anchors and dashing them against the rocks.  That of course was the end of them, and the sailors and marines likewise perished without hope of rescue, since the darkness prevented them from seeing ahead and they could not hear a word because of the uproar and the reverberation from the mountains, especially since the wind smote them in the face.  So it was that Caesar despaired of Sicily and was satisfied to guard the coast country:  Sextus on the other hand was still more elated, believing himself in very truth to be the son of Neptune, and he put on a dark blue robe besides, as some relate, casting horses as well as men alive into the straits.  He plundered and harassed Italy himself, sending Apollophanes to Libya.  The latter was pursued by Menas, who overtook and injured him.  The islands round about Sicily went over to the side of Sextus, whereupon Caesar seized the territory of the Lipareans in advance and ejecting them from the island conveyed them to Campania, where he forced them to live in Neapolis so long as the war should continue. [-49-] Meantime he kept having boats made throughout almost all of Italy and collected slaves for rowers first from his friends, who were supposed to give willingly, and then from the rest,—­senators and knights and well-to-do private citizens.  He also assembled heavy-armed troops and gathered money from all citizens, allies, and subjects, both in Italy and abroad.

This year and the following he spent on the construction of ships and the gathering and training of rowers.

[B.C. 37 (a. u. 717)]

He himself oversaw and arranged these details and all other matters in Italy and in Gaul (where there was a slight uprising).  To Agrippa he entrusted the equipment of the boats.  He sent for this man, who was fighting against the revolted Gauls, at the time when he had been the second of the Romans to cross the Rhine for purposes of warfare, and he honored him by bestowing a triumph and bidding him to secure the building and training of the fleet.  Agrippa,—­he was consul with Lucius Gallus,—­would not hold the triumph, deeming it disgraceful for him to exalt himself when Caesar had fared poorly, but set to work heart and soul to fit out the fleet.  All along the coasts of Italy vessels were taking shape; but since no shore was found safe for them to ride at anchor,—­the majority of the coast land being still in those days without harbors,—­he conceived and executed a magnificent enterprise which I shall describe at some length, showing its nature and the present characteristics of the locality where it took place.