when the civil war broke in 49 bc he sided with pompey and was in command of etruria. afterward he accompanied pompey to greece. following the death of bibulus he was given command of the pompeian fleet. during the civil wars that occurred after the assassination of julius caesar, he sided with his son-in-law sextus pompey. in 40 bc octavian, married his sister and she bore him his only natural child julia. after this marriage a peace was made between the triumvirs (second triumvirate) and sextus with the pact of misenum in 39 bc. after the war was renewed in 36 bc, scribonius felt the cause was lost and abandoned sextus.