sed
by way of invocation to the gods; such as got the upper hand received
praise and such as gave way abuse, and besides uttering many exhortations
to their warriors they shouted not a little against each other, wishing
their own men to hear more easily what was said, and their opponents to
catch familiar words less frequently.

[-10-] While the two sides were equally matched, these were the
conditions among both parties alike and they even tried to show by
gestures of the whole body that they could see and understand. When,
however, the adherents of Sextus were routed, then in unison and with
one impulse the one side raised the paean and the others a wail of
lamentation. The soldiers as if they too had shared defeat at once
retired to Messana. Caesar took up such of the vanquished as were cast on
shore and went into the sea itself to set on fire all the vessels
that ran aground in shoal water; thus there was no safety for such as
continued to sail, for they would be disabled by Agrippa, nor for such as
tried to land anywhere, for they were destroyed by Caesar, except for
a few that made good their escape to Messana. In this hard position
Demochares on the point of being taken slew himself and Apollophanes who
had his ship unscathed and might have fled went over to Caesar. The same
was done by others,--by Gallus and all the cavalry that followed him
and subsequently by some of the infantry. [-11-] This most of all caused
Sextus to despair of the situation, and he resolved to flee. He took his
daughter and certain other persons, his money and the rest of his chief
valuables, put them by night aboard of such ships as sailed best out of
the number that had been preserved, and departed. No one pursued him, for
his sailing had been secret and Caesar was temporarily in the midst of
great disturbance.

Lepidus had attacked Messana and on being admitted to the town set fire
to some of it and pillaged other portions. When Caesar on ascertaining
this came up quickly and withstood him, he was alarmed and slipped out
of the city, but encamped on a strong hill and made complaints about his
treatment; he detailed all the slights he had received and demanded
all that had been conceded to him according to their first compact and
further laid claim to Sicily, on the ground that he had helped subdue
it. He sent some men to Caesar with these charges and challenged him
to submit to arbitration: his forces consisted of troops which he had