Denarius Sextus Pompeius-Scilla

Sextus Pompeius. 42-40 BC. AR Denarius (3.50 gm).

MAG PIVS IMP ITER, galley adorned with aquila, sceptre and trident before the Colonna Rhegina, decorated with a statue of Neptune/Poseidon

PRAEF CLAS ET ORAE MARIT EX S C, the monster Scylla, her torso of dogs and fishes, wielding a rudder as a club.

Crawford 511/4a; Sear, CRI 335; Sydenham 1348; RSC 2.

On the reverse, the title of Sextus Pompeius, PRAEFECTUS CLASSIS ET ORAE MARITIMAE EX SENATUS CONSULTO, means "Commander of the fleet and of the coasts for decision of the Senate".

It seems beyond doubt that this coin marks Pompey's "victory" over Octavian's fleet in 42 BC near Scyllaeum in the difficult waters of the Strait of Messina. Therefore the dates given for this issue in RSC and Crawford (42-40 BC) are probably right, though a second and similar disaster, which was mainly due to an unfavorable wind that drove Octavian's ships onto the rocks, happened off Rhegion in 38 BC.