but after two battles of doubtful result, the fleet was destroyed by a
storm, and Sextus was again left in undisputed mastery of the sea.
Octavian, however, was never daunted by reverses, and he gave his
favorite Agrippa full powers to conduct the war against Pompeius. This
able commander set about his work with that resolution that marked a man
determined not to fail. As a harbor for his fleet, he executed a plan of
the great Caesar; namely, to make a good and secure harbor on the coast
of Latium, which then, as now, offered no shelter to ships. For this
purpose he cut a passage through the narrow necks of land which
separated Lake Lucrinus from the sea, and Lake Avernus from Lake
Lucrinus, and faced the outer barrier with stone. This was the famous
Julian Port. In the whole of the two years B.C. 38 and 37 Agrippa was
occupied in this work and in preparing a sufficient force of ships.
Every dockyard in Italy was called into requisition. A large body of
slaves was set free that they might be trained to serve as rowers.

On the 1st of July, B.C. 36, the fleet put to sea. Octavian himself,
with one division, purposed to attack the northern coast of Sicily,
while a second squadron was assembled at Tarentum for the purpose of
assailing the eastern side. Lepidus, with a third fleet from Africa, was
to assault Lilybaeum. But the winds were again adverse; and, though
Lepidus effected a landing on the southern coast, Octavian's two fleets
were driven back to Italy with great damage. But the injured ships were
refitted, and Agrippa was sent westward toward Panormus, while Octavian
himself kept guard near Messana. Off Mylae, a place famous for having
witnessed the first naval victory of the Romans, Agrippa encountered the
fleet of Sext. Pompeius; but Sextus, with the larger portion of his
ships, gave Agrippa the slip, and sailing eastward fell suddenly upon
Octavian's squadron off Tauromenium. A desperate conflict followed,
which ended in the complete triumph of Sextus, and Octavian escaped to
Italy with a few ships only. But Agrippa was soon upon the traces of the
enemy. On the 3d of September Sextus was obliged once more to accept
battle near the Straits of Messana, and suffered an irretrievable
defeat. His troops on land were attacked and dispersed by an army which
had been landed on the eastern coast by the indefatigable Octavian; and
Sextus sailed off to Lesbos, where he had found refuge as a boy during
the campaign of Phar