septimius was a leading figure among the gabiniani. when pompey fled to egypt in 48 bc following his defeat by julius caesar at the battle of pharsalia, he hoped to gain their support along with that of the new egyptian king ptolemy xiii, having been friends with egypt's prior king, ptolemy xii auletes; however the advisers of the child successor believed they could win caesar's favor by killing his foe. the egyptian general achillas met pompey at the shore in alexandria accompanied by septimius and a centurion named salvius. they greeted him under a pretense of friendship and killed him upon landing.