Pious Pompeius
In 47 BC, not even a year after the assassination of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey the Great, Sextus Pompeius and his elder brother, Gnaeus Pompeius the Younger, were brought to the Iberian Peninsula to aid in the revolt against the Caesarean governor of that region. However, unlike some other the other members of the Pompeian faction sent to deal with the situation, like Metellus Scipio, neither brother held any official position in Spain. The continued presence of Gnaeus and Sextus, rather, had to do with their relation to their father, Pompey the Great.
…they sent Pompey to Spain. For on learning that the country was in revolt they thought that the people would readily receive him as the son of Pompey the Great…
Cass. Dio. 42.56.4
This was not simply wild speculation on the part of the pro-Pompeian camps forces in Spain. After the arrival of Gnaeus in the autumn 47 BC, several cities defected on their own accord, aiding in the capture and control of Carthago Nova, Cordoba, and the Guadalquivir valley. The value of the memory and reputation of Pompey the Great could not be understated, and the brothers sought to capitalise on his popularity within Spain. Both Gnaeus and Sextus began minting coinage that heavily featured imagery of Pompey the Great, Pietas, and Hispania; crafting together a visual narrative which commemorated ancestral achievements and success in military endeavours. More importantly, it established both Gnaeus and Sextus as pious avengers of their father. [1]
This imagery is particularly prevalent in Sextus’ coinage, as the majority of the coins he minted during this time feature the bust of Pompey the Great on the obverse, and explicit depictions of Pietas, typically holding a palm branch and sceptre, on the reverse. Pietas, in Roman religion, was the feminine personification of the core Roman virtue of respect and duty; her presence in this context was used to specifically highlight filial duty. By using Pietas, Sextus explicitly displayed his duty as a good son, and a good Roman, by distributing coinage that so clearly established these connections. More so, the inscriptions on his earlier coinage reflect Sextus’ adoption of the mantel as the pious avenger of Pompey the Great. Coins minted by Sextus between 45 and 44 BC carry the inscriptions: SEX MAGNVS IMP B or SEX MAGNVS IMP SAL, Sextus Magnus Imperator. However, during this time it is clear to see that Sextus formally adopted the title PIVS, Pius, within his coinage (RRC 477; RRC 478). Sextus was literally spelling the importance of his father, and the threat this posed to his enemies. [2]
The reliance on the memory of Pompey the Great and the use of his imagery in regards to coinage did not stop after Sextus had established himself in opposition to Caesarean forces. The trend continued after Sextus left the Iberian Peninsula and stationed himself in Sicily by 42 BC. RRC 511/3a, a silver denarius minted in Sicily between 42 and 40 BC is one example of the continuity of familial pietastowards Pompey the Great within Sextus’ coinage. The obverse on the coin features many details, such as a jug and lituus which are discussed in further detail here. However, the main focus on the obverse is the bust of Pompey the Great paired with the inscription MAG PIVS IMP ITER, Magnus Pius Imperator Iterum. Again, we see the deliberate juxtaposition of the visual connection to Sextus’ father and the and reference to the self-granted title Pius towards Sextus himself. Just as Pompey the Great’s memory carried substantial political weight in Spain, he also had a significant following in Sicily, owing to Pompey’s liberation and favourable treatment of the region after it had been under the control of Marcus Perpenna Vento. Sextus clearly understood the value that the Pompeian lineage carried, and was able to once again capitalise on the memory of his father to help bolster his political standing within Sicily. [3]