Whilst Antonius made war with the Parthians, or rather infortunately they made war with him to his great confusion, his lieutenant Titius found the means to lay hands upon Sextus Pompeius; that was fled into the ile of Samos, and then forty years old: whom he put to death by Antonius’ commandment.
Appian at least leaves it an open question whether Antony was responsible or not, and thus gives his apologist an opportunity:
Titius commaunded hys (i.e. Pompey’s) army to sweare to Antony, and put hym to death at Mileto, when he hadde lyved to the age of fortye yeares, eyther for that he remembered late displeasure and forgot olde good turnes, or for that he had such commaundemente of Antony.
There bee that saye that Plancus, and not Antony did commaunde hym to dye, whyche beeyng president of Syria had Antonyes signet, and in greate causes wrote letters in hys name. Some thynke it was done wyth Antonyes knowledge, he fearyng the name of Pompey, or for Cleopatra, who fauoured Pompey the Great.
Some thynke that Plancus dyd it of hymselfe for these causes, and also that Pompey shoulde gyve no cause of dissention between Caesar and Antony, or for that Cleopatra would turn hyr favour to Pompey.
(V. cxiv.)
I do not think indeed that there is any indication that Shakespeare had read, or at all events been in any way impressed by, Goulard’s Augustus: no wonder, for compared with the genuine Lives, it is a dull performance. The only other passages with which a connection might be traced, do no more than give hints that are better given in Appian. Thus Sextus Pompeius’ vein of chivalry, of which there is hardly a suggestion in Plutarch’s brief notices, is illustrated in Goulard by his behaviour to the fugitives from the proscription.
Pompeius had sent certain ships to keep upon the coast of Italy, and pinnaces everywhere, to the end to receive all them that fled on that side; giving them double recompence that saved a proscript, and honourable offices to men that had been consuls and escaped, comforting and entertaining the others with a most singular courtesy.
But Appian says all this too in greater detail, and adds the significant touch:
So was he moste profitable to hys afflicted Countrey, and wanne greate glory to hymselfe, not inferioure to that he hadde of hys father.