ccordingly when they saw a reception which was neither royal nor
splendid nor corresponding to the expectations of Theophanes, but a
few men in a fishing-boat sailing towards them, this want of respect
made them suspect treachery and they advised Pompeius to row back into
the open sea, while they were still out of reach of missiles. In the
mean time as the boat was nearing, Septimius was the first to rise and
he addressed Pompeius as Imperator in the Roman language and Achillas
saluting him in Greek invited him to enter the boat, because, as he
said, the shallows were of great extent and the sea being rather sandy
had not depth enough to float a trireme. At the same time it was
observed that some of the king's ships were getting their men on
board, and soldiers occupied the shore, so that it appeared impossible
to escape even if they changed their minds and made the attempt; and
besides, this want of confidence would give the murderers some excuse
for their crime. Accordingly, after embracing Cornelia who was
anticipating and bewailing his fate, he ordered two centurions to step
into the boat before him, and Philippus one of his freedmen and a
slave called Scythes, and while Achillas was offering him his hand out
of the boat, he turned round to his wife and son and repeated the
iambics of Sophocles,

"Whoever to a tyrant bends his way,
Is made his slave, e'en if he goes a freeman."

LXXIX.[392] These were the last words that he spoke to his friends
before he entered the boat: and as it was a considerable distance to
the land from the galley, and none of those in the boat addressed any
friendly conversation to him, looking at Septimius he said, "I am not
mistaken I think in recognising you as an old comrade of mine;" and
Septimius nodded without making any reply or friendly acknowledgment.
As there was again a profound silence, Pompeius who had a small roll
on which he had written a speech in Greek that he intended to address
to Ptolemaeus, began reading it. As they neared the land, Cornelia with
her friends in great anxiety was watching the result from the galley,
and she began to have good hopes when she saw some of the king's
people collecting together at the landing as if to honor Pompeius and
give him a reception. In the mean time, while Pompeius was taking the
hand of Philippus that he might rise more easily, Septimius from
behind was the first to transfix him with his sword; and Salvius, and
after him Ac