Caesar was then extremely glad to
receive him, but trusted him no longer. He first repaired the damaged
ships, freed the slaves that served on the triremes, and assigned the
spare seamen, (many of whom when their vessels were destroyed in the
wreck had dived and escaped by swimming) to Antony's fleet, which was
short of men. Then he came to Lipara, and leaving there Agrippa and the
ships, returned to the mainland with the intention of transporting the
infantry across into Sicily, when an opportunity should arise.

[-2-] On learning this Sextus himself lay quietly at anchor off Messana,
watching for his attempt to cross, and ordered Demochares to anchor
opposite Agrippa at Mylae. This pair spent most of the time in testing
each other's strength according as each one would temporarily give way
a little; yet they did not dare to risk an engagement with their entire
armaments. They were not acquainted with each other's forces and on both
sides they figured everything about their opponents as being greater and
more terrible than the reality. Finally Agrippa comprehended that it
was not advantageous for him to delay,--for the adherents of Sextus,
occupying a friendly position, had no need to hurry,--and taking the best
of his ships set out for Mylae to spy out the numbers of the enemy. As he
could not see them all and no one of them manifested any inclination to
come out into the open sea, he despised them, and on his return made
preparations to sail against Mylae on the following day with all his
ships. Demochares came to much, the same conclusion. He had the idea that
the ships which had approached him were the only ones, and seeing that
they sailed very slowly by reason of their size he sent for Sextus by
night and made preparations to assail Lipara itself. When day broke, they
were sailing against each other, expecting to meet inferior numbers.
[-3-] As they came near together and each contrary to his expectations
saw that his opponents were many more than he had thought, they were at
first both alike thrown into confusion, and some even backed water. Then,
fearing flight more than battle, because in the latter they hoped to
prevail, but in the former they expected to be utterly destroyed, they
moved toward each other and joined in conflict on the sea. The one side
surpassed in the number of its ships, the other in the experience of its
sailors: to the first the height of the vessels, the thickness of the
catheads and the