that followed him and subsequently by some of the infantry. [-11-] This most of all caused Sextus to despair of the situation, and he resolved to flee.  He took his daughter and certain other persons, his money and the rest of his chief valuables, put them by night aboard of such ships as sailed best out of the number that had been preserved, and departed.  No one pursued him, for his sailing had been secret and Caesar was temporarily in the midst of great disturbance.

Lepidus had attacked Messana and on being admitted to the town set fire to some of it and pillaged other portions.  When Caesar on ascertaining this came up quickly and withstood him, he was alarmed and slipped out of the city, but encamped on a strong hill and made complaints about his treatment; he detailed all the slights he had received and demanded all that had been conceded to him according to their first compact and further laid claim to Sicily, on the ground that he had helped subdue it.  He sent some men to Caesar with these charges and challenged him to submit to arbitration:  his forces consisted of troops which he had brought in from Libya and all of those who had been left behind in Messana; for he had been the first to enter it and had suggested to them some hopes of a change in the government. [-12-] Caesar made no answer to it, thinking that he had justice all on his side and in his weapons, since he was stronger than his rival.  He immediately set out, however, against him with some few followers, expecting to alarm him by his suddenness,—­Lepidus not being of an energetic nature,—­and to win over his soldiers.  On account of the fewness of the men accompanying him they thought when he entered the camp that he was on a peaceful errand.  But as his words were not at all to their liking, they became irritated and attacked him, even killing some of the men:  he himself quickly received aid and was saved.  After this he came against them once more with his entire army, shut them within their ramparts, and besieged them.  This made them afraid of capture, and without creating any general revolt, through dread of Lepidus, they individually, a few at a time or one by one, deserted him and transferred their allegiance.  In this way he too was compelled on his own initiative to array himself in mourning garments and become a suppliant of Caesar.  As a result Lepidus was shorn of all authority and could not even live in Italy without a guard.  Of those who had been enlisted in the cause of Sextus, members of the senatorial or equestrian classes were punished, save a few, while in the case of the rank and file all free citizens were incorporated in the legions of Caesar, and those that had been slaves were given back to their masters for vengeance:  in case no master could be found for any one of them, he was impaled.  Of the cities some voluntarily opened their gates to the victor and received pardon, and others resisted him and were disciplined.