quite clear, appointed a Meeting of all his Fleet at the Haven of Brunduſium, and from thence ſailing round into the Adriatick, he went directly to attack theſe Pyrates in their Hives; as ſoon as he came near the Coraceſium in Cilicia, where the Remainder of the Pyrates now lay, they had the Hardineſs to come and give him Battle, but the Genius of old Rome prevailed, and the Pyrates received an entire Overthrow, being all either taken or deſtroyed; but as they made many ſtrong Fortreſſes upon the Sea Coaſt, and built Caſtles and ſtrong Holds up the Country, about the Foot of Mount Taurus, he was obliged to beſiege them with his Army; ſome Places he took by Storm, others ſurrendered to his Mercy, to whom he gave their Lives, and at length he made an entire Conqueſt.
But it is probable, that had theſe Pyrates receiv’d ſufficient Notice of the Roman Preparation againſt them, ſo as they might have had Time to draw their ſcattered Strength into a Body, to have met Pompey by Sea, the Advantage appeared greatly on their Side, in Numbers of Shipping, and of Men; nor did they want Courage, as may be ſeen by their coming out of the Port of Coraceſium, to give the Romans Battle, with a Force much inferior to their’s; I ſay, had they overthrown Pompey, it is likely they would have made greater Attempts, and Rome, which had conquer’d the whole World, might have been ſubdued by a Parcel of Pyrates.
This is a Proof how dangerous it is to Governments to be negligent, and not take an early Care in ſuppreſſing theſe Sea Banditti, before they gather Strength.
The Truth of this Maxim may be better exemplified in the Hiſtory of Barbarouſe, a Native in the City of Mitylene, in the Iſland of Lesbos, in the Egean Sea; a Fellow of ordinary Birth, who being bred to the Sea, firſt ſet out from thence upon
