Thus, while Rome was Miſtreſs of the World, ſhe ſuffered Inſults and Affronts, almoſt at her Gates, from theſe powerful Robbers; but what for a while made Faction ceaſe, and rouſed the Genius of that People, never uſed to ſuffer Wrongs from a fair Enemy, was an exceſſive Scarcity of Proviſions in Rome, occaſioned by all the Ships loaden with Corn and Proviſions from Sicily, Corſica, and other Places, being intercepted and taken by theſe Pyrates, inſomuch that they were almoſt reduced to a Famine: Upon this, Pompey the Great was immediately appointed General to manage this War; five hundered Ships were immediately fitted out, he had fourteen Senators, Men of Experience in the War, for his Vice-Admirals; and ſo conſiderable an Enemy, were theſe Ruffians become, that no leſs than an Army of a hundred thouſand Foot, and five thouſand Horſe was appointed to invade them by Land; but it happened very luckily for Rome, that Pompey ſail’d out before the Pyrate had Intelligence of a Deſign againſt them, ſo that their Ships were ſcattered all over the Mediterranean, like Bees gone out from a Hive, ſome one Way, ſome another, to bring Home their Lading; Pompey divided his Fleet into thirteen Squadrons, to whom he appointed their ſeveral Stations, ſo that great Numbers of the Pyrates fell into their Hands, Ship by Ship, without any Loſs; forty Days he paſſed in ſcouring the Mediterranean, ſome of the Fleet cruizing along the Coaſt of Africk, ſome about the Iſlands, and ſome upon the Italian Coaſts, ſo that often thoſe Pyrates who were flying from one Squadron, fell in with another; however, ſome of them eſcaped, and theſe making directly to Cilicia, and acquainting their Confederates on Shore with what had happened, they appointed a Rendezvous of all the Ships that had eſcaped at the Port of Coraceſium, in the ſame Country. Pompey finding the Mediterranean
