[116] Agrippa had just taken Tyndaris, a stronghold full of provisions and admirably situated for naval warfare. Thither Octavius transported his infantry and cavalry. He had in Sicily all together twenty-one legions of the former, 20,000 of the latter, and more than 5000 light-armed troops. The garrison of Pompeius still held Mylæ, and all the places from Mylæ to Naulochi and Pelorus, and all the coast. These garrisons, in fear of Agrippa, kept fires burning continually, signifying that they would set fire to any ships that should sail against them. Pompeius was also master of the defiles on both sides of the island. The mountain passes in the neighborhood of Tauromenium and around Mylæ were fortified by him, and he harassed Octavius when the latter was making a forward movement from Tyndaris, but not coming to an engagement. Believing that Agrippa was moving his fleet against him, Pompeius changed his position to Pelorus, abandoning the defiles around Mylæ; and Octavius occupied them and also Mylæ and Artemisium, a very small town, in which, they say, were the cattle of the Sun and where Ulysses fell asleep.1
1 Odyssey, xii. 338.
The Civil Wars. Appian. Horace White. London. MACMILLAN AND CO., LTD. 1899.
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