The freedman Beryllus, a loquacious Sicilian, who, as an actor, had seen
better days ere pirates robbed him of his liberty, had heard many new
things, and his hearers listened eagerly; for ships coming from the
north, which touched at Pelusium, had confirmed and completed the evil
tidings that had penetrated the Sebasteum.

According to his story, he was as well informed as if he had been an eye-
witness of the naval battle; for he had been present during his master's
conversation with many ship-captains and messengers from Greece. He even
assumed the air of a loyal, strictly silent servant, who would only
venture to confirm and deny what the Alexandrians had already learned.
Yet his knowledge consisted merely of a confused medley of false and true
occurrences. While the Egyptian fleet had been defeated at Actium, and
Antony, flying with Cleopatra, had gone first to Taenarum at the end of
the Peloponnesian coast, he asserted that the army and fleet had met on
the Peloponnesian coast and Octavianus was pursuing Antony, who had
turned towards Athens, while Cleopatra was on her way to Alexandria.

His "trustworthy intelligence" had been patched together from a few
words caught from Seleukus at table, or while receiving and dismissing
messengers. In other matters his information was more accurate.

While for several days the harbour of Alexandria had been closed, vessels
were permitted to enter Pelusium, and all captains of newly arrived ships
and caravans were compelled to report to Beryllus's master, the
commandant of the important frontier fortress.

He had quitted Pelusium the night before. The strong wind had driven the
trireme before it so swiftly that it was difficult for even the sea gulls
to follow. It was easy for the listeners to believe this; for the storm