Antoni tamen est peior quam causa Pothini:
Hic facinus domino praestitit, ille sibi.
Martial, Epig. III. lxvi.
1 Par Phariis armis = which matches (that committed by) the armed hand of an Egyptian, i.e. Pothinus (the guardian of the young king) who planned the murder of Pompeius, when he fled to Egypt 48 B.C.
sacros: consecrated to Rome from their public services.
3-4 Illud caput = Pompeius. hoc caput = Cicero. Cf. Epig. v. lxix: Quid gladium demens Romana stringis in ora?
6 domino, sc. Ptolemaeus, King of Egypt, jointly with Cleopatra.