her, in case she should miss the smallest of her demands. Octavius sent
therefore Thyrsus, a freedman of his, to speak to her kindly in every way
and to tell her further that it so happened that he was in love with her.
He hoped at least by this means, since she thought she had the power to
arouse passion in all mankind, that he might remove Antony from the scene
and keep her and her money intact. And so it proved.

[-9-] Before quite all this had occurred Antony learned that Cornelius
Gallus had taken charge of Scarpus's army and with the men had suddenly
marched upon Paxaetonium and occupied it. Hence, though he wished to set
out and follow the summons of the gladiators, he did not go into Syria.
He proceeded against Gallus, believing that he could certainly win over
his soldiers without effort; they had been with him on campaigns and were
well disposed. At any rate he could subdue them by main strength, since
he was leading a large force both of ships and of infantry upon them.
However, he found himself unable even to hold converse with them,
although he approached their wall and shouted and hallooed. For Gallus by
ordering his trumpeters to sound their instruments all together gave no
one a chance to hear a word. Antony further failed in a sudden assault
and subsequently met a reverse with his ships. Gallus by night had chains
stretched across the mouth of the harbor under water and took no open
measures to guard against them but quite disdainfully allowed them to
sail freely in. When, however, they were inside, he drew up the chains by
means of machines and encompassing his opponent's ships on all sides,--on
land, from the houses, and on the sea,--he burned some and sank others.
The next event was that Caesar took Pelusium, pretendedly by storm, but
really betrayed by Cleopatra. She saw that no one came to her aid and
perceived that Caesar was not to be withstood; most important of all,
she heard the message sent to her by Thyrsus, and believed that she was
really the object of affection. Her confidence was strengthened first
of all by her wish that it be true, and second by the fact that she had
enslaved his father and Antony alike. As a result she expected that she
should gain not only forgiveness and sovereignty over the Egyptians, but
empire over the Romans as well. At once she yielded Pelusium to him.
After this, when he marched against the city, she secretly prevented the
Alexandrians from making a sortie, thou