A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

4 88 POMPEI US. POMPEIUS.
coast with a few friends, only anxious to escape the Roman nobles. He was both a proud and a
from the country. He embarked on board a vain man, faults which above all others make a
merchant ship at the mouth of the river Peneus, man disliked by his associates and equals. At the
and first sailed to Lesbos, where he took up his same time his moral character was superior to that
wife Cornelia, who was staying in the island, and of the majority of his contemporaries; and he was
from thence made for the coast of Pamphylia, where free from most of the vices which pervaded all the
he was joined by several vessels and many se- higher ranks of society at the time. The ancient
nators. His friends now advised him to seek writers bear almost unanimous testimony to the
refuge in Egypt, since he had been the means of purity of his marriage life, to his affection for his
restoring to his kingdom the father of the young different wives, to the simplicity and frugality of
Egyptian monarch, and might, therefore, reckon his mode of life, and to the control which he posupon the gratitude of the court. He accordingly sessed over his passions and appetites. In his
set sail for Egypt, with a considerable fleet and government of the provinces he also exhibited a
about 2000 soldiers, and upon his arrival off the striking contrast to most of the Roman nobles
coast sent to beg for the protection of the king. justice was not to be purchased from him, nor
The latter was only thirteen years of age, and the did he enrich himself, according to the ordinary
government was in the hands of Pothinus, an fashion, by plundering the subjects of Rome. His
eunuch, Theodotus of Chios, and Achillas. These untimely death excites pity; but no one, who
three men, dreading Caesar's anger if they received has well studied the state of parties at the downPompey, and likewise fearing the resentment of fal of the Roman commonwealth, can regret his
the latter if they forbade him to land, resolved to fall. He had united himself to a party which was
release themselves from their difficulties by putting intent on its own aggrandizement and the ruin of
him to death. They accordingly sent out a small its opponents; and there is abundant evidence to
boat, took Pompey on board with three or four prove, that had that party gained the mastery, a
attendants, and rowed for the shore. His wife proscription far more terrible than Sulla's would
and friends watched him from the ship, anxious to have taken place, the lives of every distinguished
see in what manner he would be received by man on the other side would have been sacrificed,
the king, who was standing on the edge of the their property confiscated, and Italy and the prosea with his troops; but just as the boat reached vinces divided as booty among a few profligate and
the shore, and Pompey was in the act of rising unprincipled nobles. From such horrors the victory
from his seat, in order to step on land, he was of Caesar saved the Roman world.
stabbed in the back by Septimius, who had for- Pompey was married several times. His wives
merly been one of his centurions, and was now in and children are mentioned in the Stemma inl
the service of the Egyptian monarch. Achillas p. 475, and an account of his two surviving sons is
and the rest then drew their swords; whereupon given below. Pompey never had his own portrait
Pompey covered his face with his toga, without struck upon his coins; but it appears on the coins
uttering a word, and calmly submitted to his fate. of Pompeiopolis and on those of his sons Cneius
He was killed on the 29th of September, the day and Sextus. [See below Nos. 24 and 25.]
before his birth-day, B. C. 48. and had consequently (The principal ancient authorities for the life of
just completed his 58th year. His head was cut Pompey are the biography of Plutarch, the histories
off, and his body, which was thrown out naked on of Dion Cassius, Appian, and Velleius Paterculus,
the shore, was buried by his freedman Philippus, the Civil War of Caesar, and the Letters and Orawho had accompanied him from the ship. The tions of Cicero. His life is related at length by
head was brought to Caesar when he arrived in Drumann, Geschicl7te Reos, vol. iv.)
Egypt soon afterwards, but he turned away from 23. POMPEIA, sister of the triumvir. [PoruPEIA,
the sight, shed tears at the untimely end of his No. 3.]
rival, and put his murderers to death. 24. CN. POAIPEIUS MACTNUS, the eldest son of
The character of Pompey is not difficult to the triumvir [No. 22] by his third wife Mucia, was
estimate. He was simply a soldier; his life from born between the years B3. c. 80 and 75. He accoenhis seventeenth to his forty-second year was spent panied his father in the expedition against the pialmost entirely in military service; and when he rates a. c. 67, but he must then have been too young
returned to Rome after the conquest of Mithri- to have taken any part in the war. On the breakdates, he did not possess any knowledge of civil ing out of the civil war in B. c. 49, he was sent
affairs, and soon displayed his incompetency to to Alexandria to obtain ships and troops for his
take a leading part in the political commotions of father; and after procuring an Egyptian fleet of
the time. He had a high sense of his own fifty ships he joined the squadron that was cruising
importance, had been accustomed for years to the in the Adriatic Sea in B. C. 48. Here he succeeded
passive obedience which military discipline re- in taking several of Caesar's vessels off Oricum, and
quired, and expected to be treated at Rome with he made an unsuccessful attack upon the town of
the same deference and respect which he had Lissus. After the defeat of his father at Pharsalia,
received in the camp. With an overweening he was deserted by the Egyptian fleet which he
sense of his own'influence, he did not condescend commanded, and he then repaired to the island of
to attach himself to any political party, and thus Corcyra, where many of the Roman nobles, who
became an object of suspicion to both the aris- had survived the battle, had taken refuge. Here
tocracy and the people. He soon found out, what he maintained that, possessing as they did the
Marius had discovered before him, that something command of the sea, they ought not to despair of
more was required than military glory to retain success; and he was very nearly killing Cicero,
the affections of the multitude; and he never when the Iatter recommended submission to the
learnt the way to win the hearts of men. He was conqueror. On his way to Africa, which his party
of a cold and phlegmatic temperament, and seems to had resolved to make the scene of the war, he
have possessed scarcely any personal friends among learnt from his brother Sextus the death of hi:i