Augustus | Page 5

by torture, the soldiers flocked together so much enraged,
that he narrowly escaped with his life. The only thing that saved him,
was the sudden appearance of the man, safe and sound, no violence
having been offered him. And whilst he was sacrificing under the walls
of Perugia, he nearly fell into the hands of a body of gladiators, who
sallied out of the town.
XV. After the taking of Perugia [120], he sentenced a great number of
the prisoners to death, making only one reply to all who implored
pardon, or endeavoured to excuse themselves, "You must die." Some
authors write, that three hundred of the two orders, selected from the
rest, were slaughtered, like victims, before an altar raised to Julius
Caesar, upon the ides of March [15th April] [121]. Nay, there are some
who relate, that he entered upon the war with no other view, than that
his secret enemies, and those whom fear more than affection kept quiet,
might be detected, by declaring themselves, now they had an
opportunity, with Lucius Antony at their head; and that having defeated
them, and confiscated their estates, he might be enabled to fulfil his
promises to the veteran soldiers.
XVI. He soon commenced the Sicilian war, but it was protracted by
various delays during a long period [122]; at one time for the purpose
of repairing his fleets, which he lost twice by storm, even in the
summer; at another, while patching up a peace, to which he was forced
by the clamours of the people, in consequence of a famine occasioned
by Pompey's cutting off the supply of corn by sea. But at last, having
built a new fleet, and obtained twenty thousand manumitted slaves
[123], who were given him for the oar, he formed the Julian harbour at
Baiae, by letting the sea into the Lucrine and Avernian lakes; and
having exercised his forces there during the whole winter, he defeated
Pompey betwixt Mylae and Naulochus; although (80) just as the

engagement commenced, he suddenly fell into such a profound sleep,
that his friends were obliged to wake him to give the signal. This, I
suppose, gave occasion for Antony's reproach: "You were not able to
take a clear view of the fleet, when drawn up in line of battle, but lay
stupidly upon your back, gazing at the sky; nor did you get up and let
your men see you, until Marcus Agrippa had forced the enemies' ships
to sheer off." Others imputed to him both a saying and an action which
were indefensible; for, upon the loss of his fleets by storm, he is
reported to have said: "I will conquer in spite of Neptune;" and at the
next Circensian games, he would not suffer the statue of that God to be
carried in procession as usual. Indeed he scarcely ever ran more or
greater risks in any of his wars than in this. Having transported part of
his army to Sicily, and being on his return for the rest, he was
unexpectedly attacked by Demochares and Apollophanes, Pompey's
admirals, from whom he escaped with great difficulty, and with one
ship only. Likewise, as he was travelling on foot through the Locrian
territory to Rhegium, seeing two of Pompey's vessels passing by that
coast, and supposing them to be his own, he went down to the shore,
and was very nearly taken prisoner. On this occasion, as he was making
his escape by some bye-ways, a slave belonging to Aemilius Paulus,
who accompanied him, owing him a grudge for the proscription of
Paulus, the father of Aemilius, and thinking he had now an opportunity
of revenging it, attempted to assassinate him. After the defeat of
Pompey, one of his colleagues [124], Marcus Lepidus, whom he had
summoned to his aid from Africa, affecting great superiority, because
he was at the head of twenty legions, and claiming for himself the
principal management of affairs in a threatening manner, he divested
him of his command, but, upon his humble submission, granted him his
life, but banished him for life to Circeii.
XVII. The alliance between him and Antony, which had always been
precarious, often interrupted, and ill cemented by repeated
reconciliations, he at last entirely dissolved. And to make it known to
the world how far Antony had degenerated from patriotic feelings, he
caused a will of his, which had been left at Rome, and in which he had
nominated Cleopatra's children, amongst others, as his heirs, to be
opened and read in an assembly of the people. Yet upon his being
declared an enemy, he sent to him all his relations and friends, among

whom were Caius Sosius and Titus Domitius, at that time consuls. He
likewise spoke favourably in public of the people of Bologna, for
joining