in which a great number of his ships perished.  On this occasion Augustus behaved with great presence of mind and judgment:  his first object and care was to send Maecenas to Rome, to prevent the disturbances which the intelligence of this disaster might occasion there:  Maecenas succeeded in his mission completely.  In the meantime Augustus went in person to the several ports, into which his ships had escaped from the storm, encouraged and rewarded the workmen, and soon got his fleet refitted and ready for sea.  In his second attempt to invade Sicily, which he put in execution as soon as his fleet was repaired, he was more successful than in his first; and Agrippa considerably weakened Pompey’s naval forces, by defeating one of his admirals, from whom he captured thirty galleys.  Pompey was still so formidable at sea, at least to the fears of Augustus, that, when he appeared unexpectedly on the coast of Sicily with his fleet, the latter was completely intimidated:  apprehending that Pompey would land and attack his camp, he deserted it and went on board his fleet.  Pompey, however, who always preferred naval enterprizes, attacked the fleet, put it to flight at the first onset, captured most of the ships, and burnt and sunk the remainder.  Augustus with difficulty escaped in a boat; but, instead of returning to his camp, in Sicily, he fled to Italy, attended only by one domestic.

As soon as he recovered from his alarm, he, in conjunction with Lepidus, determined to attack Messina, in which place Pompey had deposited all his stores, provisions, and treasure.  The city accordingly was closely invested, both by sea and land.  Pompey, in this emergency, challenged Augustus to decide the war by a sea-fight, with 300 ships on each side.  Augustus acceding to this proposal, both fleets were drawn up in line of battle, between Mylae and Naulocus; the land forces having agreed to suspend hostilities, and wait the event of the engagement.  Agrippa, who commanded Augustus’s fleet, fought with great bravery, and was as bravely opposed by Pompey; their respective officers and men emulated their example.  For a considerable time, the event was doubtful; but, at last, Pompey’s fleet was defeated:  only seventeen of his vessels escaped, the rest were taken or burnt.  This victory Agrippa obtained at an easy rate, not more than three of his snips being sunk or destroyed.  Augustus, who, according to all accounts, behaved in a most cowardly manner during the battle, was so fully sensible of the obligations he was under to Agrippa, that he immediately honoured him with a blue standard and a rostral crown, that is, a crown, the flower-work of which represented the beaks of galleys, and afterwards, when he became emperor, he raised him, by rank and honours, above all his other subjects.  According to Livy, and some other authors, the rostral crown had never been given in any preceding wars, nor was it afterwards bestowed; but Pliny is of a different opinion, he says that it was given to M. Varro, in the war against the pirates, by Pompey.