itherto vehemently supported the party of Caesar, through alarm at
that time lost their presence of mind, and without any necessity for
it were carried along with the current of that great movement. A most
piteous sight was the city, when so great a storm was coming on, left
like a ship whose helmsman had given her up, to be carried along and
dashed against anything that lay in her way. But though this desertion
of the city was so piteous a thing, men for the sake of Pompeius
considered the flight to be their country, and they were quitting Rome
as if it were the camp of Caesar; for even Labienus,[523] one of
Caesar's greatest friends, who had been his legatus and had fought with
him most gallantly in all the Gallic wars, then fled away from Caesar
and came to Pompeius. But Caesar sent to Labienus both his property and
his baggage; and advancing he pitched his camp close by Domitius, who
with thirty cohorts held Corfinium.[524] Domitius despairing of
himself asked his physician, who was a slave, for poison, and taking
what was given, he drank it, intending to die. Shortly after, hearing
that Caesar showed wonderful clemency towards his prisoners, he
bewailed his fate and blamed the rashness of his resolution. But on
the physician assuring him that what he had taken was only a sleeping
potion and not deadly, he sprung up overjoyed, and going to Caesar,
received his right hand, and yet he afterwards went over again to
Pompeius. This intelligence being carried to Rome made people more
tranquil, and some who had fled, returned.

XXXV. Caesar took the troops of Domitius into his service, as well as
the soldiers that were raising for Pompeius whom he surprised in the
cities; and having now got a numerous and formidable army, he advanced
against Pompeius. Pompeius did not await his approach, but fled to
Brundisium, and sending the consuls over before him with a force to
Dyrrachium,[525] himself shortly after sailed from Brundisium upon the
approach of Caesar, as will be told more particularly in the Life of
Pompeius.[526] Though Caesar wished to pursue immediately, he was
prevented by want of ships, and he turned back to Rome, having in
sixty days without bloodshed become master of Italy. Finding the city
more tranquil than he expected and many of the Senators in it, he
addressed them in moderate and constitutional language,[527] urging
them to send persons to Pompeius with suitable terms of accommodation;
but no one listened