23.  The Alexandrians, finding their efforts to take the palace ineffectual, endeavoured at least to get their king out of Caesar’s power, as he had seized upon his person in the beginning of their disputes.  For this purpose they made use of their customary arts of dissimulation, professing the utmost desire of peace, and only wanting the presence of their lawful prince to give a sanction to the treaty. 24.  Caesar was sensible of their perfidy, but concealed his suspicions, and gave them their king, as he was under no apprehensions from the abilities of a boy.  Ptol’emy, however, the instant he was set at liberty, instead of promoting the peace, made every effort to give vigour to his hostilities.

25.  In this manner was Caesar hemmed in for some time by an artful and insidious enemy, and surrounded with almost insurmountable difficulties; but he was at last relieved from this mortifying situation by Mithrida’tes Pergame’nus, one of his most faithful partizans, who came with an army to his assistance.  This general marched into Egypt, took the city of Pelu’sium, repulsed the Egyptian army with loss, and, at last, joining with Caesar, attacked their camp with a great slaughter of the Egyptians.  Ptol’emy himself, attempting to escape on board a vessel, was drowned by the ship’s sinking. 26.  Caesar thus became master of all Egypt, without any farther opposition.  He appointed Cleopa’tra, with her younger brother, who was then an infant, joint governors, according to the intent of their father’s will, and drove out Arsin’oe, with Gan’ymede, to banishment.

27.  Having thus given away kingdoms, he now, for a while, seemed to relax from the usual activity of his conduct, being captivated with the charms of Cleopa’tra.  Instead of quitting Egypt to go and quell the remains of Pompey’s party, he abandoned himself to his pleasures, passing whole nights in feasting with the young queen.  He even resolved on attending her up the Nile, into Ethiopia; but the brave veterans, who had long followed his fortune, boldly reprehended his conduct, and refused to be partners in so infamous an expedition. 23.  Thus at length roused from his lethargy, he resolved to prefer the call of ambition to that of love; and to leave Cleopa’tra, in order to oppose Pharna’ces, the king of Bosphorus, who had made some inroads upon the dominions of Rome in the East.

29.  This prince, who had cruelly deposed his father, the great Mithrida’tes, being ambitious of conquering those dominions, seized upon Arme’nia and Col’chis, and overcame Domit’ius, who had been sent against him. 30.  Upon Caesar’s march to oppose him, Pharna’ces, who was as much terrified at the name of the general as at the strength of his army, laboured, by all the arts of negociation, to avert the impending danger. 31.  Caesar, exasperated at his crimes and ingratitude, at first dissembled with the ambassadors; and using all expedition, fell upon the enemy unexpectedly, and, in a few hours, obtained an easy and complete