A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

456 The Revolution
vessels, the enemy about two hundred, but the size of the
enemy's ships made up for their inferiority in number.
With from six to nine banks of oars, mounted with towers
and high decks, they moved along like castles and cities;
the seas groaned under them and the wind was fatigued.
Their great size, however, was their destruction.
Caesar's
vessels had from three to six banks of oars but no more.
Ready for all that necessity required, whether for charging,
retreating, or wheeling round, they attacked several of
those heavy vessels at a time.
In these encounters Caesar's
men hurled missiles and rammed with the beaks of their
ships; they threw fire-brands into the enemy's vessels and
dispersed them at pleasure. The greatness of the enemy's
force was shown by nothing so much as by what happened
after the victory.
Shattered in the engagement, the vast
fleet spread the spoils of Arabs, Sabaeans, and a thousand
other Asiatic nations over the whole face of the deep. The
waves, driven onward by the winds, continually threw up
purple and gold on the shore.
The queen began the flight; she made off into the open
sea with her gilded vessel and sails of purple. Antony
immediately followed.
The end of But Caesar pursued hard on their track. . . . First Ancfeopatra!
tony raised his sword against himself. The queen, falling
at Caesar's feet, tempted his eyes in vain, for her charms
were too weak to overcome the prince's self-restraint.
Her
suit was not for life, which he offered her, but for a portion
of the kingdom. As she despaired of obtaining this from
Caesar, and saw that she was reserved for his triumph, she
took advantage of the negligence of her guard, and withdrew
into a mausoleum, as the sepulchre of a king is called.
There after putting on her best apparel . . . she placed
herself by her dear Antony in a cofl5n filled with rich per-
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