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5While the naval battle was in progress, Caesar, as soon as he perceived that Sextus had departed from Messana and that the strait was destitute of a garrison, did not let slip this “chance of war,” but immediately embarked on Antony’s vessels and crossed over to Tauromenium; however, he enjoyed no good fortune in doing so. 2No one, to be sure, interfered with his sailing or his disembarking, and he was quite undisturbed in general and also when he made his camp; but when the naval battle was over, Sextus came with all speed to Messana, and learning of Caesar’s presence he quickly filled his ships with fresh troops and attacked him at one and the same time with this fleet and with his heavy-armed troops on land. 3Caesar did not even come out to fight the infantry, but sailing out against Sextus, because he despised the enemy’s fleet with its small number of vessels and because they had been previously defeated, he lost the greater part of his fleet and barely avoided destruction himself. 4Indeed, he could not even escape to his own men in Sicily, but was glad to reach the mainland in safety. And though he himself was then in security, yet when he saw his army cut off on the island, he was terribly distressed. 5His confidence was not restored until a fish of its own accord leaped out of the sea and fell at his feet; this incident gave him courage once more, for he believed the soothsayers who told him that he should make the sea his slave.
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