CHAP.  VI]  ROMAN  HISTORY.  181

and  Pompey,  fleeing  in  disguise  from  the  field  of  battle,  attended
only  by  his  son  Sextus,  and  a  few  followers  of  rank,  pursued  his
way  to  Mytilene,  where  he  took  on  board  his  wife  Cornelia  and
sailed  to  Egypt,  intending  to  claim  the  hospitality  of  the  young  king
Ptol'  emy,  whose  father  he  had  befriended.  Ptol'  emy,  then  at  war
with  his  sister  Cleopatra,  was  encamped  with  his  army  near  Peltisi-
um,1  whither  Pompey  directed  his  course,  after  sending  to  inform
the  king  of  his  approach.  In  the  army  of  Ptol'  emy  there  was  a
Roman,  named  Septim'  ius,  who  advised  the  young  prince  to  put
Pompey  to  death,  in  order  to  secure  the  favor  of  Caesar ;  and  just
as  Pompey  was  stepping  on  shore  from  a  boat  that  had  been  sent  to
receive  him,  he  was  stabbed,  in  the  sight  of  his  wife  and  son.  Soon
after  Caesar  arrived  at  Alexandria  in  Egypt  in  pursuit  of  the  fugi-
tives, when  the  ring  and  .head  of  Pompey,  which  were  presented  to
him,  gave  him  the  first  information  of  the  fate  of  his  rival.  He
shed  tears  at  the  sight,  and  turned  away  with  horror  from  the  spec-
tacle. He  afterwards  ordered  the  head  to  be  burned  with  perfumes,
in  the  Roman  method,  and  loaded  with  favors  those  who  had  adhered
to  Pompey  to  the  last.
