But he did not sail against them
till he had completely cleared of the piratical vessels the Tyrrhenian
sea, the Libyan, and the seas around Sardinia, and Corsica, and
Sicily, in forty days in all, by his own unwearied exertions and the
active co-operation of his commanders.
XXVII. In Rome the consul Piso, through passion and envy, was damaging
the preparations for the war, and disbanding the seamen who were to
man the ships, but Pompeius sent round his navy to Brundisium and
himself advanced through Tyrrhenia to Rome. On hearing this all the
people poured forth out of the city upon the road, just as if they had
not only a few days before conducted him out of the city. And the
rejoicing was caused by the speediness of the change, which was
contrary to expectation, for the Forum had a superabundance of
provisions. The consequence was that Piso ran the risk of being
deprived of the consulship, for Gabinius had already a law drawn up.
But Pompeius prevented this, and having managed everything else with
moderation and got what he wanted, he went down to Brundisium and set
sail. But though he was pressed by the urgency of the business and
sailed past the cities in his haste, still he did not pass by Athens
but he went up to it. After sacrifices to the gods and addressing the
people, just as he was quitting the place he read two inscriptions,
each of a single verse, addressed to him, the one within the gate,
"As thou own'st thyself a mortal, so thou art in truth a God.
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