A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1060 METELLUS. METELLUS.
have received the surname of Nepos, because he only was he obliged to call to his aid the armies in
was the eldest grandson of the latter; for the Nearer Spain and in Gaul, but the Romans also sent
Metelli were so numerous that it became neces- to his assistance Pompey with proconsular power
sary, for the sake of distinction, that each member and another army. Sertorius, however, was a
of the family should have some personal desig- match for them both; and when Metellus, after
nation. This surname of Nepos was also borne by frequent disasters, at length gained a victory over
one of his children [No. 21]. Metellus Nepos Sertorius, he was so elated with his success, that
exerted himself in obtaining the recall of his kins- he allowed himself to be saluted imperator, and
man Metellus Numidicus from banishment in B. c. celebrated his conquest with the greatest splendour.
99, and was consul the following year, B. c. 93, But Sertorius soon recovered fiom this defeat, and
with T. Didius. In this year the two consuls would probably have continued to defy all the
carried the lex Caecilia Didia. (Cic. post Red. in efforts of Metellus and Pompey, if he had not been
Sen. 15, pro Dom. 20, ad Att. ii. 9; Schol. Bob. murdered by Perperna and his friends in B. c. 72.
pro Sext. p. 310, ed. Orelli; Obsequ. 107.) [SERTaRIUS.] Metellus returned to Rome in the
17. CAECILIA (METELLA), sister of the pre- following year, and triumphed on the 30th of
ceding, and daughter of Balearicus, married App. December.
Claudius, consul in B. C. 79. [CAECILIA, No. 4.] In B. c. 65, Metellus was one of those who sup18. CAECILIA (METELLA), daughter of Dalma- ported the accusation against C. Cornelius. He
ticus [No. 13], married first Scaurus, consul in was pontifex maximus, and, as he was succeeded
B. C. 115, and afterwards the dictator Sulla. [CAE- in this dignity by C. Caesar in B. c. 63, he must
CILIA, No. 5.] have died either in this year or at the end of the
19. Q. CAECILIUS Q. F. L. N. METELLUS PIUS, preceding. Metellus Pius followed closely in the
son of Numidicus [No. 14], received the surname footsteps of his father. Like him, he was a steady
of Pius on account of the love which he displayed and unwavering supporter of the aristocracy; like
for his father when he besought the people to re- him, his military abilities were very considerable,
call him from banishment, in B. C. 99. He was but not those of a first-rate general, and he was
about twenty years of age when he accompanied unable to adapt himself or his troops to the guerillahis father to Numidia in B. c. 109. He obtained warfare which had to be carried on in Spain; like
the praetorship in B.C. 89, and was one of the his father, again, his personal character contrasted
commanders in the Marsic or Social war, which most favourably with the general dissoluteness of
had broken out in the preceding year. He de- his contemporaries; and lastly, he imitated his
feated and slew in battle Q. Pompaedius, the leader father in the patronage which he bestowed upon
of the Marsians in B. C. 88. He was still in arms Archias and other poets. His conduct at the time
in B. C. 87, prosecuting the war against the Sam- of his father's banishment, and the gratitude which
nites, when Malius landed in Italy and joined the he showed to Q. Calidius, are especially deserving
consul Cinna. The senate, in alarm, summoned of praise. He adopted the son of Scipio Nasiea,
Metellus to Rome; and, as the soldiers placed who is called in consequence Metellus Pius Scipio
more confidence in him than in the consul Octavius, [No. 22]. (Sall. Jug. 64; Appian, B. C. i. 33,
they entreated him to take the supreme command 53, 68, 80-91, 97, 103, 108-115; Aurel. Vic.
shortly after his arrival in the city. As he refused de Vir. Ill. 63; Oros. v. 18, 28; Plut.: Ifar. 42,
to comply with their request, numbers deserted to Crass. 6, Sertor. 12-27; Liv. Epit. 84, 91, 92;
the enemy; and finding it impossible to hold out Vell. Pat. ii. 15, 28-30; Dion CRss. xxvii. 37;
against Marius and Cinna, he left the city and Plut. Caes. 7; Cic. pro Arch. 4, 5, 10, pro Planc.
went to Africa. Here he collected a considerable 29, pro Cluent. 8, pro Balb. 2, 22; Ascon. in Cic.
force and was joined by Crassus, who had also fled Corx. p. 60, ed. Orelli.)
thither from Spain, but they quarrelled and sepa- 20. Q. CAECILIVS Q. F. Q. N. METELLUS CELER,
rated shortly afterwards. In B. c. 84 Metellus consul B. c. 60, was son of Nepos, consul B. c. 98.
was defeated by C. Fabius, one of the Marian [No. 16.] The latter was most probably his father,
party. He therefore returned to Italy, and re- but his descent has given rise to much dispute.
mained in Liguria; but hearing of the return of Cicero and Asconius both call Metellus Celer the
Sulla from Asia in the following year (B. C. 83), he frater of the younger Metellus Nepos [No. 21],
hastened to meet him at Brundisium, and was one and Asconius states that the latter was the son of
of the first of the nobles who joined him. In the the elder Nepos [No. 16], the grandson of Baleawar which followed against the Marian party, ricus [No. 7], and the great-grandson of MacedoMetellus was one of the most successful of Sulla's nicus [No. 5]. (Cic. ad Faro. v. 1, 2; Ascon. in
generals. Early in B. C. 82, Metellus gained a Cornel. p. 63.) From the way in which Celer
victory over Carrinas, near the river Aesis in speaks of Nepos, as well as from other circumUmbria, defeated shortly afterwards another divi- stances, we are led to conclude that they were
sion of Carbo's army, and finally gained a decisive brothers and not first-cousins. The only difficulty
victory over Carbo and Norbanus, near Faventia, in this supposition is, that they both bear the praein Cisalpine Gaul. nomen Quintus; but the ingenious hypothesis of
In B. C. 80, Metellus was consul with Sulla Manutius (ad Cic. 1. c ) removes this difficulty.
himself. In this year he rewarded the services of He supposes that the elder Nepos [No. 16] may
Calidius, in obtaining the recall of his father from have had two sons, one called Quintus and the
banishment, by using his influence to obtain for other perhaps Lucius: that the latter, the subject of
him the praetorship. In the following year (B. C. this notice, was adopted by the Q. Metellus Celer,
79), Metellus went as proconsul into Spain, in who is mentioned by Cicero as one of the orators
order to prosecute the war against Sertorius, who in B. C. 90, and that he received in consequence the
adhered to the Marian party. Here he remained praenomen Quintus and the cognomen Celer. Mafor the next eight years, and found it so difficult nutius filrther supposes that after the death of the
to obtain any advantages over Sertorius, that not elder son Quintus, the wife of Nepos bore him. a