Talk:Sextus Pompey

Cognomina
Alright, can someone please cite where Sextus Pompeius' cognomina came from? I, for one, have never heard him referred to as Magnus Pius.

the picture on the coin shows Magnus Pius


 * One helpful source on this is:


 * Ronald Syme, “Imperator Caesar: A Study in Nomenclature,” Historia 7 (1958) 172–188, reprinted in Roman Papers (vol. 1, I think).

Not just on Caesar and Augustus; good section on the names used by the sons of Pompeius.

I could be wrong, but I don't think "Sextus Pompey" reflects the most common modern usage. I don't recall ever seeing it. It points up the problems in using the anglicized form Pompey for Pompeius, when WIki editors otherwise take great care to use authentic nomenclature — the use of Mark Antony and Pompey stand out as anachronisms by contrast.Cynwolfe (talk) 17:26, 20 September 2009 (UTC)

Shakespeare?
We should at least mention Shakespeare's treatment of him (Antony and Cleopatra) and the story of how he spared the Triumvirate when he could have killed them and taken the throne. Even if it's not historically accurate, definitely culturally significant (and I think Plutarch or somebody has the same story). Here's the relevant passage: (Actt

Men. Wilt thou be Lord of all the world? Pom. What saist thou? Men. Wilt thou be Lord of the whole world? That's twice

Pom. How should that be? Men. But entertaine it, and though thou thinke me poore, I am the man will giue thee all the world

Pom. Hast thou drunke well

Men. No Pompey, I haue kept me from the cup, Thou art if thou dar'st be, the earthly Ioue: What ere the Ocean pales, or skie inclippes, Is thine, if thou wilt ha't

Pom. Shew me which way? Men. These three World-sharers, these Competitors Are in thy vessell. Let me cut the Cable, And when we are put off, fall to their throates: All there is thine

Pom. Ah, this thou shouldst haue done, And not haue spoke on't. In me 'tis villanie, In thee, 't had bin good seruice

Sextus and Scribonia
A section of this article keeps being edited claiming that Sextus Pompeius married his great-grand niece Scribonia, granddaughter of his sister Pompeia Magna. Sextus and Pompeia are only a few years apart (reference: Moses Hadas-Sextus Pompeius).

Again, if Pompeia married Faustus Sulla around the year 58 bc or probably later (after her father Pompey had married Julia Caesaris in 59 bc), simply do the math: any first child would be born around the year 56bc, and before Cornelia Sulla there was Faustus Sulla II and Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix. Then you need to add at least 15 years for Cornelia to become of a marriageable age. Then add one or two years for her to have her first kid, and another 15 to 20 years for her daughter to be able to marry. That takes us to around 25 BC and Sextus had already been dead for 10 years by then (he was killed in 35 bc).

Sextus' wife Scribonia was the daughter of Lucius Scribonius Libo (consul of 34bc) and a woman of the Galba family (gens Sulpicius). The sister of this Scribonius Libo was the first wife of Octavian and mother of his only known daughter Julia.Wehemesut (talk) 20:16, 26 January 2009 (UTC)

Violent death as a weapon?
From the article (which is otherwise well-written): "His [Sextus Pompeius'] violent death would be one of the weapons used by Octavian against Antony several years later, when the situation between the two reached a boiling point." What does this mean? How was his death used as a weapon against Marc Antony? Urgos (talk) 04:09, 28 January 2013 (UTC)