Many of them, too, were adorned and decorated in the most sumptuous manner, with gilded sterns, purple awnings, and silver-mounted oars.

The number of their galleys was said to be a thousand.

With this force they made themselves almost complete masters of the sea.

They attacked not only separate ships, but whole fleets of merchantmen sailing under convoy; and they increased the difficulty and expense of bringing grain to Rome so much, by intercepting the supplies, as very materially to enhance the price and to threaten a scarcity.

They made themselves masters of many islands and of various maritime towns along the coast, until they had four hundred ports and cities in their possession.