So he used his entire army for this project. He kept working until he cut 180 channels across the riverbed and divided it into 360 streams. He left the original bed completely dry, with all the water flowing through new channels. This cost him time — which is crucial in major operations. It also broke his soldiers' courage through pointless labor. And he lost the chance to attack his unprepared enemy while he was fighting the river instead of his actual foes. This madness — what else can you call it? — has happened to Romans too. Gaius Caesar destroyed a beautiful villa at Herculaneum because his mother was once imprisoned there. He made the place famous for its tragedy. When the villa still stood, we used to sail past without even noticing it. Now people ask why it lies in ruins.
He thereupon devoted all the resources of his army to this object, and remained working until by cutting one hundred and eighty channels across the bed of the river he divided it into three hundred and sixty brooks, and left the bed dry, the waters flowing through other channels. Thus he lost time, which is very important in great operations, and lost, also, the soldiers’ courage, which was broken by useless labour, and the opportunity of falling upon his enemy unprepared, while he was waging against the river the war which he had declared against his foes. This frenzy, for what else can you call it, has befallen Romans also, for G. Caesar destroyed a most beautiful villa at Herculaneum because his mother was once imprisoned in it, and has thus made the place notorious by its misfortune; for while it stood, we used to sail past it without noticing it, but now people inquire why it is in ruins.