CHAPTER X
Terrible Storm in the Straits of Sicily -- Destruction of Octavius' Fleet
-- Great loss of Life -- Octavius retreats to Vibo -- Pompeius does not
pursue -- Octavius appeals to Antony for Aid -- Antony comes to his
Assistance with Three Hundred Ships -- Meeting of Octavius and Antony --
Antony returns to his Parthian Expedition -- Menodorus deserts to
Pompeius
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The next morning, when Octavius looked out upon the water, he beheld some of
his ships burned, others partly burned, others still burning, and others
broken in pieces; and the sea filled with sails, rudders, and furniture,
while, of the ships that were saved, the greater part were damaged. Having
ranged the fleet of Calvisius in front, he made repairs on those of his
vessels that most needed them, turning them on their sides,
1 the enemy meantime remaining quiet, either
because they feared Calvisius, or because they had decided to attack again
in the open sea. Thus they remained on either side until midday, when a
south wind burst upon them, raising violent billows in that surging and
confined channel. Pompeius was then inside the harbor of Messana. The ships
of Octavius were again shattered on the rough and inhospitable coast,
dashing against the rocks and against each other, for, as they were not
fully manned, they were not under good control.
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Menodorus, apprehending that this rising storm would increase in violence,
moved farther seaward and rode at anchor where, on account of the depth of
water, the waves were less boisterous; and even here he had recourse to hard
rowing to avoid being driven ashore. Some of the others followed his
example, but most of them, thinking that the wind would soon subside, as it
usually did in the springtime, moored themselves with anchors on either
side, landward and seaward, and thrust out poles to prevent collisions with
each other. As the wind grew more violent everything was thrown into
confusion. The ships collided, broke their anchors, and were upset on the
shore one after another. Cries of alarm and groans of pain were mingled
together, and exhortations that fell upon deaf ears. Orders could not be
heard. There was no distinction between pilot and common sailor. Knowledge
and authority were alike unavailing. The same destruction awaited those in
the ships and those who fell overboard, the latter being crushed by wind,
waves, and floating timber. The sea was full of sails, spars, and men,
living and dead. Those who sought to escape by swimming to land were dashed
against the rocks by the surf. When the convulsion seized the water,
2 as is usual in that strait, they
were terrified, being unaccustomed to it, and then their vessels were
whirled around and dashed against each other worse than ever. As night came
on the wind increased in fury, so that they perished no longer in the light
but in the darkness.
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Groans were heard throughout the entire night, and the cries of men running
along the shore and calling their friends and relatives upon the sea by
name, and mourning for them as lost when they could hear no responses; and
anon the cries of others lifting their heads above the waves and beseeching
aid from those on shore. Nothing' could be done on either land or water. Not
only was the sea inexorable to those engulfed in it, as well as to those
still in the ships, but the danger from the storm was almost as great on
land, lest the surf should dash them against the rocks. So distressed were
they by this unexampled tempest that those who were nearest the land feared
the land, yet could not get sufficient offing to avoid collision with each
other, for the narrowness of the place and its naturally difficult outlet,
together with the force of the waves, the rotary motion of the wind, caused
by the surrounding mountains, and the whirlpool of the deep, holding
everything in its grasp, allowed neither tarrying nor escape. The darkness
of a very black night added to their distress. And so they perished, no
longer even seeing each other, some uttering confused cries, others yielding
in silence, accepting their doom, some even hastening it, believing that
they were utterly lost. The disaster so far surpassed their experience that
it bereft them of the hope of saving themselves even by chance. Finally, at
the approach of daylight, the wind suddenly relaxed its force, and after
sunrise wholly died away; yet even then, although the storm had ceased, the
surges rolled a long time. The fury of the tempest surpassed the memory of
the oldest inhabitants. It was altogether unexampled, and the greater part
of Octavius' ships and men were destroyed by it.
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Octavius, who had lost heavily in the battle the previous day and had
sustained two severe calamities together, took the road in haste to Vibo
that same night, by way of the mountains, being unable to repair this
disaster, for which there was no help at hand. He wrote to all his friends
and generals to be on the alert lest a plot should be formed against him
here or there, as is liable to be the case when adversity comes. He
despatched the infantry he had with him to all points on the Italian coast,
lest Pompeius should be emboldened by his good luck even to invade the
mainland. But the latter had no thought of an expedition by land. He did not
even attack the ships that were left from the wreck, nor those that went
away after the storm had subsided. On the contrary, he paid no attention to
the enemy while they were tying their ships together with ropes as well as
they could, and sailing with a favorable wind to Vibo. He neglected them
either because he thought that the disaster was all-sufficient for him, or
because he did not know how to follow up a victory, or, as I have said
elsewhere, because he was altogether inefficient in attack and cared only to
defend himself against assailants.
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Less than half of Octavius' ships were saved, and these badly damaged. He
left certain officers in charge of them and proceeded to Campania much cast
down, for he had no other ships and he needed many; nor did he have time to
build them, pressed as he was by the famine and by the people, who were
again harassing him about a new treaty and mocking at the war as being in
violation of the old one. He needed money, but had none. The Romans were not
paying the taxes, nor would they allow the use of the revenues that he had
devised. But he was always clever at discovering what was for his advantage.
He sent
Mæcenas to Antony to change the mind of the latter respecting
the things about which they had lately had some
bickering, and to bring him to an alliance. If Mæcenas should not
succeed, he intended to embark his infantry on merchant vesels, cross over
to Sicily, abandon the sea, and wage war on land. While in this state of
dejection the news reached him that Antony had agreed to the alliance, and
he heard of a splendid victory over the Gauls of Aquitania, gained under the
leadership of Agrippa. His friends and certain cities also promised him
ships, and built them. Accordingly, Octavius cast off his despondency, and
made more formidable preparations than his previous ones.
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At the beginning of spring, Antony set sail from Athens to Tarentum with 300
ships to assist Octavius as he had promised. But the latter had changed his
mind and postponed his movement until his own ships should be finished. When
called upon again and told that Antony's forces were ready and sufficient,
he advanced other reasons for delay. It was evident that he was again
offended with Antony about something, or that he disdained his assistance
because his own resources were abundant. Antony was vexed, but he remained,
nevertheless, and communicated
with Octavius again, because the expense of his fleet
was
burdensome. Moreover, he needed Italian soldiers
for his war against the Parthians, and he contemplated exchanging his fleet
for a part of Octavius' army; for, although it was provided in their treaty
that each of them might recruit soldiers in Italy, it would be difficult for
him to do so when Italy had fallen to the lot of Octavius. Accordingly,
Octavia betook herself to her brother to act as mediator between them.
Octavius complained that he had been abandoned by Antony when he was
overtaken by danger in the straits. She replied that that had been explained
through Mæcenas. Octavius said that Antony had sent his freedman
Callias to Lepidus in Africa to induce the latter to make an alliance
against him. She replied that she knew that Callias had been sent to make
arrangements about a marriage, because Antony desired, before setting out on
his Parthian expedition, to marry his daughter to the son of Lepidus, as had
been agreed. After Octavia had made this statement Antony sent Callias to
Octavius with permission to put him to torture [in order to learn the
truth]. Octavius would not receive him, but said that he would go and have
an interview with Antony between Metapontum and Tarentum, at a place where
there is a river of the latter name between them.
3
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They both chanced to reach the river at the same time. Antony sprang down
from his chariot and leaped alone into one of the skiffs moored near by, and
rowed toward Octavius, showing confidence in him as a friend. When Octavius
saw this he followed the example. So they met in the stream and contended
with each other which of them should disembark on the other's bank. Octavius
prevailed because he was going to make a visit to Octavia at Tarentum. He
took a seat with Antony in the latter's chariot, and proceeded to his
lodgings at Tarentum unprotected, and passed the night there without guards.
On the following day Antony made the same exhibition of trust. Thus they
were continually changing from suspicion born of rivalry to confidence due
to their mutual needs.
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However, Octavius postponed his expedition against
Pompeius till the following year.
On account of the Parthian war Antony was not able to wait. Nevertheless,
they made an exchange with each other, Antony giving to Octavius 120 ships,
which he sent at once and delivered at Tarentum, in return for which
Octavius promised to send him 20,000 Italian legionaries. Octavia, begging
the favor from Antony, made her brother a present of ten three-banked
phaseli -- a combination of war-ship and merchant vessel -- and Octavius
gave her in return 1000 picked men as a body-guard, to be selected by
Antony. As the term of the triumvirate voted to them was about expiring,
they renewed it for five years without again asking the people. And so they
separated, Antony proceeding straightway to Syria and leaving Octavia with
her brother, and also a daughter already born to them.
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But Menodorus, -- either because he was an habitual traitor, or because he
feared the former threat of Antony, who had said that he would punish him as
a rebellious slave, or because he had received less consideration than he
had expected, or because the other freedmen of Pompeius were continually
reproaching him for unfaithfulness to his master and urging him to return,
-- now that Menecrates was dead, asked forgiveness, and, having obtained it,
deserted to Pompeius with seven ships, without the knowledge of Octavius'
admiral, Calvisius. For this reason Octavius dismissed the latter from his
command and appointed Agrippa in his place. When the fleet was ready,
Octavius performed a lustration for it in the following manner. Altars were
erected on the margin of the sea, and the multitude were ranged around them
in ships, observing the most profound silence. The priests who performed the
ceremony offered the sacrifice while standing at the water's edge, and
carried the expiatory offerings in skiffs three times around the fleet, the
general sailing with them, beseeching the gods to turn the bad omens against
the victims instead of the fleet. Then, dividing the entrails, they cast a
part of them into the sea, and put the remainder on the altars and burned
them, while the multitude chanted in unison. In this way the Romans perform
lustrations of the fleet.