ight came he attempted to escape in
some direction. Ventidius learned beforehand from deserters of the
contemplated move and by posting ambushes killed many in the retreat and
took possession of the rest, who were abandoned by Labienus. The latter
by changing his dress reached safety and for some time escaped detection
in Cilicia. Later he was captured by Demetrius, a freedman of the former
Caesar, who had at this time been assigned to Cyprus by Antony. He learned
that Labienus was in hiding and made a search for him, which resulted in
the fugitive's arrest.

[-41-] After this Ventidius recovered Cilicia and attended himself to
the administration of this district, but sent ahead Pompaedius Silo with
cavalry to Amanus. This is a mountain on the border between Cilicia and
Syria, and contains a pass so narrow that a wall and gates were once
built across it and the place received its name from that fact. Silo,
however, found himself unable to occupy it and ran in danger of being
annihilated by Phranapates, lieutenant of Pacorus, who was guarding the
passage. And that would have been his fate, had not Ventidius by chance
come upon him when he was fighting and defended him. He attacked the
barbarians, who were not looking for his arrival and were likewise fewer
in number, and slew Phranapates and many others. In this way he gained
Syria deserted by the Parthians,--all except the district of the
Aradii,--and subsequently without effort occupied Palestine, by scaring
away from it King Antigonus. Besides accomplishing this he exacted large
sums of money from the rest individually, and large sums also from
Antigonus and Antiochus and Malchus the Nabathaean, because they had
given help to Pacorus. Ventidius himself received no reward for these
achievements from the senate, since he was acting not with full powers,
but as a lieutenant: Antony, however, obtained praise and thanksgivings.
As for the Aradii, they were afraid that they might have to pay the
penalty for what they had ventured against Antony, and would not come to
terms though they were besieged by him for a time; later they were with
difficulty captured by others.

[-40-] About this same time an uprising took place in Parthian Illyricum,
but was put down by Pollio after some conflicts. There was another on the
part of the Ceretani in Spain, and they were subjugated by Calvinus after
he had had some little preliminary successes and also a preliminary
setback; this last