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

10/56: METELLUS. METELLUS.
STEMTMA METELLORUIM,
1. L. Caecilius Metellus,
cos. B.C. 251, 247.
2. Q. MNe.llus, 3. L. Aletellus, 4. M. Af,4le1l-ls,
CSe. B.C. 206. tr. pi. B.c. 213. pr. B. 206.
5. Q. Metellus Macedonicus, 6. L. Metellus Calvus,
cos. B. C. 143. Cos. B. C. 142.
I:'
7. Q. Metellus 8. L. Metellus 9. M. Me- 10. C. Metellus 11.Caecilia, 12. Caecilia, 13. L. Metellus 14. Q. Metellus 15. Caecilia,
Balearicus, Diadematus, tellus, Caprarius, m.C. Servilius m. Scipio Dalmnaticus, Numidicus, m. I. LuS. B. c. 1253. cos. B.. 117. cos.. c. 115. cos. B.c. 115. Vatia..asica. cos. B. C. 119. cos.. C. 109. cullus
I _ I I I
16. P.:Metellus 17. Caecilia, 18. Caecilia, 19. Q. Metellus
Nepos, m. App. m. 1. Scaurus; Pius,
COS.. c. 98. Claudius. 2. Sulla. cos. B. C. 80.
I I
20. Q. Metellus 21. a. Metellus 22. Q. Metellus Pius
Celer, epos, Scipio,
Cos. B. C. CO CoS. B. C. 59. Cos. C. 22;
m. Clodia. m. Lepida.
Cornelia,
m. 1. P. Crassus.
2. Pompey, triumvir.
[ See Vol. i. p. 855. b.
Of uncertain descent.
23. Q. Metellus 24. L. Metellus. 25. M. Metellus,
Creticus, Cos. B.C. 60. pr. B. C. 69.
coB. B.C. 690.' l
26. Q. Metellus c27. L. MetellusL 28. M. Jetellus.
Creticus, tr. pl. B. C. 49.
qu. B. C. 60?
29. Q. Metellus
Creticus,
COS. A. D. 7
1. L. CAECILIUS L. F. C. N. METELLUS, consul 9, pro Scaur. 2; Val. Max. i. 4. ~ 4; Ov. Fast.
B. C. 251., with C. Furius Pacilus, in the first Car- vi. 436.)
thaginian war, was sent with his- colleague into 2. Q. CAECILIVS L. F. L. N. METELLUS, son of
Sicily to oppose Hasdrubal, the Carthaginian ge- the preceding, is enumerated by Cicero in his list
neral. The Roman soldiers were so greatly alarmed of Roman orators (Brzt. 14, 19), and his oration
at the elephants in the Carthaginian army, that at his father's funeral has been spoken of above.
their generals did not venture to attack the enemy, (Comp. Plin. H. N. vii. 43. s. 45.) He was elected
but lay inactive for a long time.. At last, when one of the pdntifices in B. C. 216, plebeian aedile in.
Furius Pacilus returned to Italy with a part of the B. C. 209, and curule aedile in B. C. 208 (Liv. xxiii.
forces, Hasdrubal availed himself of the opportunity 2], xxvii. 21, 36). In B. C. 207 he served in the
to attack Panormus, but was entirely defeated by armhy of the consul Claudius Nero, and was one of
PMetellus, who slew a great number of his troops, the legates sent to Rome to convey the joyful news
and captured all his elephants, which he afterwards of the defeat and death of Hasdrubal; and it was
exhibited in his triumph at Rome. This victory mainly in consequence of his services in this war
established the Roman supremacy in Sicily, and that he owed his elevation to the consulship in the
may be said to have had a decisive influence on the following year. On his return to Rome he was apfate of the war. (Polyb. i. 39, 40; Flor. ii. 2. ~ pointed magister equitum to M. Livius Salinator,
27; Eutrop. ii. 24; Oros. iv. 9; Frontin. Strateg. who was nominated dictator'for the purpose of holdii. 5. ~ 4; Cic. de Rep. i. 1; Liv. Epit. 19; Plin. ing the comitia, and it was at these comitia (B. C.
H. N. vii. 43. s. 45; Dionys. ii. 66.) 206) that he was elected consul with L. Veturius
In B. c. 249, Metellus was magister equitum to Philo, who- had served with him in the campaign
the dictator A. Atilius Calatinus, and in B.:C. 247 against Hasdrubal (Liv. xxvii. 51, xxviii. 9, 10;
consul a second time with N. Fabius Buteo, but Cic. Brut. 14). The consuls received Bruttii as
nothing of importance took place during this year. their province, in order to prosecute the war against
Four years afterwards (B. C. 243) he' was elected Hannibal; but their year of office passed over withpontifex maximus, and held this dignity for twenty- out anything of importance occurring, and Metellus
two years. He must, therefore, have died shortly remained in the same province as proconsul, during
before the commencement of the second Punic war, the following year. At the end of the year he was
B. C. 221. An act of Metellus during his high- recalled to Rome, and nominated dictator for the
priesthood is recorded by the historians. In B.C. 241 purpose of holding the comitia (Liv. xxviii. 10, 11,
he rescued the Palladium when the temple of 45, 46, xxix. ]0, 11). Q. Metellus had, like his
Vesta was on fire, bhut lost his sight in consequence: other distinguished contemporaries, taken an active
he was, therefore, rewarded by the people with a part in the Hannibalian war; but at the conclusion
statue on the Capitol, and the permission, previously of this war in B. C. 201, he is reported to have said
granted to no one, of riding to the senate-house in in the senate that he did not look upon its termia carriage. In addition to his other honours he nation as a blessing to Rome, since he feared that
was appointed dictator in B.c. 224, for the purpose the Roman people would now sink back again into
of h'olding the comitia. His merits and distinctions its former slumbers, from which it had been roused
are recorded by Pliny in an extract which he has by the presence of Hannibal. (Val. Max. vii.
made from the funeral oration delivered by his son, 2. ~ 3.)
Q. Metellus. (Plin. Liv. Dionys. 11. cc.; Cic. Cat, Metellus survived the war many years, and was