This, However, Was Not The Case, Even After The War Against The
Pirates, Which Was So Successfully Terminated By Pompey;
For Pompey's son,
who opposed the triumvirate, by leaguing with the pirates, (of what nation
we are not informed,) repeatedly,
During his warfare, reduced the city of
Rome to great straits for want of corn.
As the operations by sea which he carried on, in conjunction with the
pirates, are the last recorded in history, by means of which Rome was
reduced to such straits, and as this repeated proof of the absolute
necessity of rendering her independent of any maritime power for supplies
of corn, seems to have been the chief inducement with Augustus to establish
regular and powerful corn fleets, we shall notice them in this place,
though rather posterior to the period of Roman history at which we have
arrived.
The younger Pompey, it would appear, was sensible that his father's fame
and fortune had been first established by his success at sea: this induced
him to apply himself to maritime affairs, and, when he resolved to oppose
the triumvirate, to trust principally to his experience and force by sea,
to oblige them to comply with his terms. Accordingly, he built several
ships, some of which are said to have been covered with leather: he
associated himself with all the pirates he could meet with; and, when
sufficiently powerful, he took possession of Sardinia, Sicily, and Corcyra,
made himself master of the whole Mediterranean sea, and intercepted all the
convoys which were carrying provisions and other necessaries to Rome. The
occupation of Sicily enabled him to prevent any corn from being shipped
from that island, and to intercept all that came from the eastern ports of
the Mediterranean. His possession of Sardinia and Corcyra enabled him to
intercept all that came from the west, while he captured all that came from
Africa by his squadrons, which were constantly cruising in that direction.
It may easily be imagined, that when Rome was deprived of her supplies of
corn from Sicily, Africa, and the Euxine, she could not long subsist,
without being threatened with famine: this was actually the case, the
inhabitants were near starving, and it became necessary for the triumvirate
to relieve them, either by conquering Pompey, or coming to terms with him.
But Rome alone did not suffer: the rest of Italy was also deprived, in a
great measure, of provisions, and its coasts insulted and plundered.
Octavianus, one of the triumvirate, at first resolved, with the advice of
Anthony, to raise a naval force, and oppose Pompey; but when he attempted
to lay a tax on the inhabitants of Rome and the rest of Italy, though it
was to prevent them from starving, they resisted it with so much violence
and determination, that he was obliged to abandon the measure.
As, however, the famine still continued, the triumvirate agreed to come to
an accommodation with Pompey: the principal terms were, that the latter
should retain possession of Sicily, Sardinia,. &c.; and that he should
moreover receive Peloponnesus; that he might endeavour to obtain the
consulate; that the dignity of Pontifex Maximus should be granted him; that
he should be paid 70,000 great sesterces out of his father's confiscated
estate; and that such of his companions as chose should be allowed to
return. On his part, he promised, that he would no longer interrupt the
Roman trade and navigation; that he would no longer build ships, nor make
descents on the coasts of Italy, nor receive the slaves who fled to him;
and that he would immediately send to Rome the corn he had detained, oblige
the Sicilians to pay annually the tribute of corn due to Rome by that
island, and clear the seas of all the pirates.
From these terms it may be seen how dependent Rome, even at this period,
was on foreign supplies of corn, and how weak she was at sea. Pompey and
the triumvirate seem neither to have been sincere in this treaty: the
former, who still retained the title of governor of the maritime coasts,
had derived too great advantage from his superiority at sea, and his
connection with the pirates, easily to relinquish either; while, on the
other hand, the triumvirate could not regard themselves as masters of the
republic, so long as Pompey had it in his power to starve the city of Rome.
They, therefore, soon quarrelled; upon which Pompey caused his old ships to
be refitted, and new ones to be built; and, when he had got a sufficient
force, he again blocked up the ports of Italy, and reduced the inhabitants
of the capital to the utmost distress for want of provisions. Octavianus,
(Augustus Caesar,) to whom the protection of Italy was assigned, had neither
the courage nor the means to oppose Pompey, who, probably, would speedily
have forced the triumvirate, to grant him conditions still more favourable
than the former ones, had it not been for the defection of one of his
admirals. As he was an officer of great valour and experience in maritime
affairs, and carried over with him the numerous fleet which he commanded,
Augustus was emboldened and rendered better able to cope with Pompey by
sea. The latter, rather enraged than intimidated by this defection, sent
another of his admirals, who had always been jealous of the one who had
gone over to Augustus, with a numerous fleet, to ravage the coasts of
Italy. On his return, he fell in with a fleet of Augustus, on board of
which was his rival. An obstinate battle ensued: at first Pompey's fleet
was worsted; but in the issue it was victorious, and the greater number of
Augustus' ships were sunk, captured, or driven on shore. As soon as
Augustus learnt the issue of this battle, he resolved to sail from
Tarentum, where he then was, pass the straits of Messina, and reinforce the
shattered remains of his squadron; but, while he was in the straits, his
ships were attacked by Pompey himself, and most of them sunk or dashed to
pieces:
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