Sextus Pompey

Sextus Pompey, the younger son of Pompey the Great and Mucia, was born about 67 BC. He was with his father at the time of the latter's murder in Egypt in 48 BC and succeeded in escaping to Africa. Later, following Caesar's victories over the Pompeians at Thapsus (46) and Munda (45), he rallied the survivors and continued to harass the Caesarian generals in Further Spain. After Caesar's assassination in 44 BC the Roman Senate came to an agreement with Sextus and at this time he transferred his base to the important Gallic port of Massilia (modern Marseille) where he anchored his powerful fleet. The following year he was appointed supreme naval commander of the Republic. However, at this time the political situation in post-Caesarian Rome was extremely volatile and a few months later the Senate, under pressure from Octavian, declared Sextus a public enemy Later still, he was proscribed by the triumviral government in Rome and on receipt of this intelligence, if not before, he set sail from Massilia and seized control of Sicily, using the island as a base for raiding and blockading the Italian mainland. After achieving a string of notable successes in his piratical career, in which he even came close to overthrowing the western triumvir Octavian, Sextus Pompey was eventually defeated by Marcus Agrippa at the naval battle of Naulochus (3rd September 36 BC). He managed to escape to Asia Minor but was soon captured and put to death on Mark Antony's orders.