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

METELLUS. MIETELLUS. -1059
14. Q, CAECILIUS L. F. Q. N. METELLUS NU- likewise a candidate for the tribnnate, Saturninns
MIDICUS, younger brother of the preceding and son obtained this dignity in B. C. 100, the same year in
of No. 6, was one of the most distinguished mem- which Glaucia was praetor and Marius consul for
bers of his family. The character of Metellus the sixth time. Saturninus forthwith proposed an
stood very high among his contemporaries; in an agrarian law, to which he added the clause, that
age of growing corruption his personal integrity the senate should swear obedience to it within five
remained unsullied; and he was distinguished for days after its enactment, and that whosoever should
his abilities in war and peace. He was one of the refuse to do so should be expelled from the senate,
chief leaders of the aristocratical party at Rome, and pay a fine of twenty talents. In order to
and displayed the usual arrogance and contempt for entrap his enemy, Marius got up in the senate and
all those who did not belong to his order, which asserted that he would never take the oath; and
distinguished the Roman nobles of his time. The Metellus made the same declaration; but when
year of his praetorship is not stated; but it was the senators were summoned to the rostra to comply
probably after his return from his praetorian pro- with the law, Marius was the first to swear obevince that he was accused of extortion, on which dience, and Metellus was the only one in the senate
occasion it is related that the judges had such con- who refused to do so. He was therefore expelled
fidence in his integrity that they refused to look at from the senate; and, not contented with this, the
his accounts when they were produced in court. tribune brought forward a bill to punish him with
Some modern writers, however, suppose that this exile. The friends of Metellus were ready to take
trial took place after his return from Numidia (Cic. up arms, if necessary, to resist the law; but Mepro Balb. 5, ad Att. 1, 16; Val. Max. ii. 10. ~ 1). tellus would not avail himself of their. assistance,
Metellus obtained the consulship in B. C. 109, with and, in order to avoid a civil commotion, he deM. Junius Silanus, and received Numidia as his parted from the city,, and retired to Rhodes, where
province, with the conduct of the war against Ju- he bore his loss with great calmness, without
gurtha, who had in the year before inflicted great troubling himself about his return. In the course
disgrace upon the Roman arms. Their honour, of the same year, however, the mad schemes of
however, was fully retrieved by Metellus, who Saturninus occasioned his own rtun and that of his
gained a great victory over Jugurtha near the river friends; and the popular party received such a
Muthul. It is unnecessary to enter here into the severe blow in consequence of their death, that
details of the war, as they are given in the life of very little opposition was offered to the recall of
JUGURTHA. Metellus remained in Numidia during Metellus, which was proposed in the following year
the following year as proconsul, but as he was (B. C. 99) by the tribune Q. Calidius. The son of
chiefly occupied in the siege of towns, and was un- Metellus exerted himself so strongly in support of
able to bring the war to a conclusion, his legate the rogation of Calidius,'that he obtained from his
C. Marius, whom he had grossly affronted [see contemporaries the surname of Pius. According to
above p. 954, a.], industriously circulated reports a tale preserved by Cicero (de Nat. Deor. iii. 33),
in the camp and the city that Metellus designedly Q. Varius, who was tribune of the plebs B. c. 91,
protracted the war, for the purpose of continuing in and a violent enemy of the aristocracy, poisoned a
the command. These rumours had the desired Metellus, and as Cicero mentions him without any
effect. Marius was raised to the consulship, Nu- surname, he'probably means the great Metellus
midia was assigned to him as his province, and Numidicus. The tale, however, may have been
Metellus saw the honour of finishing the war invented by the hatred of party.
snatched from his grasp. The blow was all the The general character of Metellus has been alheavier, since his successor had sprung from the ready pourtrayed. He was certainly one of the
lower classes, and had at the commencement of his best specimens of his class, and probably one of
political career been assisted by Metellus himself the most virtuous citizens of his time. He was
[see p. 952, a.]. So bitter were his feelings that not ignorant of literature and art, and was a genehe could not brook the sight of Marius, and rous patron of both. In his youth he had heard
accordingly left the army in charge of his legate Carneades in Rome; he was a friend and patron
P. Rutilius, who was to hand it over to Marius. of the poet Archias; and when he went into exile
On his arrival at Rome, Metellus was, contrary to he took with him the rhetorician L. Aelius Praehis expectation, received with the utmost respect coninus or Stilo, and occupied' his time in reading
and applause. The people probably felt that in- the works and hearing the lectures of the philosojustice had been done him: he celebrated a splendid phers. His powers of oratory are spoken of with
triumph in B. C. 107, received the honorary surname praise by Cicero, and his orations continued to be
of Numidicus, and retired into. private life, full of read with admiration in the time of Fronto. (Sall.
glory and honour. Jug. 43-88; Plut. Marius; Liv. Epit. 65, 69;
In B. C. 102 Metellus was censor with his cousin Vell. Pat. ii. 11; Aurel. Vic. de Vir. Ill. 62;
Metellus Caprarius. He attempted to expel from Flor. iii. 1; Eutrop. iv. 27; Oros. v. 15; Appian,
the senate L. Appuleius Saturninus and Servilius B. C. i. 28, 30-33; Val. Max. ii. 10. ~ 1, ix. 7
Glaucia, two of the greatest enemies of the aristo- ~ 2; Gell. i. 6, xvii. 2; Fronto, p. 15; the pascracy, but was prevented by the interposition of his sages of Cicero in Orelli's Onom. Tull. vol. ii. p.
colleague from carrying his design into effect. He 103, &c.; Meyer, Orator. Roman. Fragm. p. 272,
refused to allow the name of L. Equitius, who pre- &c. 2nd ed.)
tended to be a son of Gracchus, to stand upon the 15. CAECILIA (METELLA), sister of the two
list of citizens, notwithstanding the popular tumult preceding, and daughter of No. 6, married Luculwhich this refusal occasioned. Saturninus and his lus, the father of the conqueror of "Mithridates.
party resolved in revenge to rain Metellus, and [CAECrMIA, No. 3.]
were supported in their design by Marius, who 16. Q. CAECILIUS Q. F. Q. N. METELLUJS NEhated Metellus both on personal and political Pos, son of Balearicus [No. 7], and grandson of
grounds. By the murder of A. Nonius, who was the celebrated Macedonicus [No. 5], appears to
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