Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio (c. 95 – 46 BC), often referred to as Metellus Scipio, was a Roman senator and military commander. During the
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
between
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
and the
senatorial
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...
faction led by
Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey or Pompey the Great, was a leading Roman general and statesman. He played a significant role in the transformation of ...
, he was a staunch supporter of the latter. He led troops against Caesar's forces, mainly in the battles of
Pharsalus
''Pharsalus''Melichar L (1906) ''Monographie der Issiden. (Homoptera). Abhandlungen der K. K. Zoologisch-botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien.'' Wien 3: 1-327 21 is the type genus of planthoppers in the subfamily Pharsalinae (family Ricaniidae); it ...
and
Thapsus
Thapsus, also known as Tampsus and as Thapsus Minor to distinguish it from Thapsus in Sicily, was a Carthaginian and Roman port near present-day Bekalta, Tunisia.
Geography
Thapsus was established on Ras ed-Dimas, an easily defended promontory ...
, where he was defeated. He later committed suicide.
Ronald Syme
Sir Ronald Syme, (11 March 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a New Zealand-born historian and classicist. He was regarded as the greatest historian of ancient Rome since Theodor Mommsen and the most brilliant exponent of the history of the Roman ...
called him "the last Scipio of any consequence in Roman history."
Family connections and name
The son of Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica,
praetor
Praetor ( , ), also pretor, was the title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected '' magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to discharge vario ...
about 95 BC, and Licinia, Scipio was the grandson of
Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica, consul in 111, and
Lucius Licinius Crassus
Lucius Licinius Crassus (140–91 BC) was a Roman orator and statesman. He was considered the greatest orator of his day, most notably by his pupil Cicero. Crassus is also famous as one of the main characters in Cicero's work '' De Oratore'', a d ...
, consul in 95. His great-grandfather was Scipio Nasica Serapio, the man who murdered Tiberius Gracchus in 133 BC. Through his mother Cornelia, Serapio was also the grandson of
Scipio Africanus
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (, , ; 236/235–183 BC) was a Roman general and statesman, most notable as one of the main architects of Rome's victory against Carthage in the Second Punic War. Often regarded as one of the best military com ...
. Scipio's father died not long after his
praetor
Praetor ( , ), also pretor, was the title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected '' magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to discharge vario ...
ship, and was survived by two sons and two daughters. The brother was adopted by their grandfather Crassus, but left little mark on history.
Publius Scipio, as he was referred to in contemporary sources early in his life, was
adopted in adulthood through the
testament of
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius (c. 128 – 63 BC) was a Roman politician and general. Like the other members of the influential Caecilii Metelli family, he was a leader of the Optimates, the conservative faction opposed to the Populares during ...
, consul in 80 BC and ''
pontifex maximus''. He retained his
patrician
Patrician may refer to:
* Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage
* Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...
status: "Scipio's ancestry," notes Syme, "was unmatched for splendour." As
Jerzy Linderski
Jerzy Sever Linderski (born 21 August 1934 in Lwow, Poland, now Lviv) is a contemporary Polish scholar of ancient history and Roman religion and law.
Currently George L. Paddison Professor of Latin ''Emeritus'' at the University of North Carolin ...
has shown at length, this legal process constitutes adoption only in a loose sense; Scipio becomes a
Caecilius Metellus in name while inheriting the estate of Metellus Pius, but was never his "son" while the ''pontifex maximus'' was alive. He was sometimes called "Metellus Scipio", or just "Scipio", after his adoption. The official form of his name as evidenced in a decree of the senate was "Q. Caecilius Q. f. Fab. Metellus Scipio."
Scipio married Aemilia Lepida, daughter of
Mamercus Aemilius Lepidus Livianus
Mamercus Aemilius Lepidus Livianus (died c. 62 BC) was a Roman politician and military commander who was consul in 77 BC.
Biography
Livianus was a well connected and influential figure in Late Republican politics. A member of the aristocratic par ...
, consul in 77 BC, but was not without rival in seeking to marry Aemilia Lepida. The virginal
Cato had also wanted to marry Aemilia but lost out:
The couple had one son, a Metellus Scipio who seems to have died when he was only 18. Another son may have been born around 70 BC, or a son may have been adopted. The couple's much more famous daughter was born around that time as well. Scipio first married off the celebrated
Cornelia Metella
Cornelia Metella ( 73 BC – after 48 BC) was the daughter of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio Nasica (who was a consul in 52 BC and originally from the gens Cornelia). She appears in numerous literary sources, including an official dedicat ...
to
Publius Crassus, the son of
Marcus Licinius Crassus
Marcus Licinius Crassus (; 115 – 53 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He is often called "the richest man in Rome." Wallechinsky, David & Wallace, I ...
. After
Publius's death at
Carrhae, Scipio decided to succeed Caesar as the father-in-law of Pompey, and approached Pompey with an offer to marry him to Cornelia, which Pompey accepted. Pompey was at least thirty years older than Cornelia. This marriage was one of the acts by which Pompey severed his alliance to Caesar and declared himself the champion of the optimates. He and Scipio were consuls together in 52.
Political career
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...
names "P. Scipio" among the young ''
nobiles
The ''nobiles'' ( ''nobilis'') were members of a social rank in the Roman Republic indicating that one was "well known". This may have changed over time: in Cicero's time, one was notable if one descended from a person who had been elected Roman c ...
'' on his defence team when
Sextus Roscius
Sextus Roscius (often referred to as ''Sextus Roscius the Younger'' to differentiate him from his father) was a Roman citizen farmer from Ameria (modern day Amelia) during the latter days of the Roman Republic. In 80 BC, he was tried in Rome for p ...
was prosecuted in 80 BC. He is placed in the company of
Marcus Messalla and
Metellus Celer, both future consuls.
Metellus Scipio was probably
tribune of the plebs
Tribune of the plebs, tribune of the people or plebeian tribune ( la, tribunus plebis) was the first office of the Roman Republic, Roman state that was open to the plebs, plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most importan ...
in 59 BC, but his patrician status argues against his holding the office. It is possible that Scipio's adoption into a plebeian gens may have qualified him for a tribunate on a technicality. He may have been
curule aedile
''Aedile'' ( ; la, aedīlis , from , "temple edifice") was an elected office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings () and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enf ...
in 57 BC, when he presented funeral games in honour of his adopted father's death, six years earlier. He was praetor, most likely in 55 BC, during the second consulship of Pompeius and Marcus Crassus.
In 53 BC, Scipio was
interrex
The interrex (plural interreges) was literally a ruler "between kings" (Latin ''inter reges'') during the Roman Kingdom and the Roman Republic. He was in effect a short-term regent.
History
The office of ''interrex'' was supposedly created follow ...
with
Marcus Valerius Messalla. He became consul with Pompeius in 52 BC, the year he arranged the marriage of his newly widowed daughter to him.
Indisputably aristocratic and conservative, Metellus Scipio had been at least a symbolic counterweight to the power of the so-called
triumvirate
A triumvirate ( la, triumvirātus) or a triarchy is a political institution ruled or dominated by three individuals, known as triumvirs ( la, triumviri). The arrangement can be formal or informal. Though the three leaders in a triumvirate are ...
before the death of Crassus in 53 BC. "Opportune deaths," notes Syme, "had enhanced his value, none remaining now of the Metellan consuls."
[Syme, ''The Augustan Aristocracy'', p. 245.]
He is known to have been a member of the
College of Pontiffs
The College of Pontiffs ( la, Collegium Pontificum; see ''collegium'') was a body of the ancient Roman state whose members were the highest-ranking priests of the state religion. The college consisted of the '' pontifex maximus'' and the other '' ...
by 57 BC, and was probably nominated upon the death of his adoptive father in 63, and subsequently elected.
Role in civil war
![Metellus Scipio denarius](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Metellus_Scipio_denarius.jpg)
In January of 49 BC, Scipio persuaded the
senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
to issue the ultimatum to Caesar that made war inevitable. That same year, Scipio became
proconsul
A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority.
In the Roman Republic, military command, or ' ...
of the province of
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. In Syria and
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
, where he took up winter quarters, he used often oppressive means to gather ships, troops, and money:
Scipio put to death
Alexander of Judaea, and was acclaimed ''
Imperator
The Latin word ''imperator'' derives from the stem of the verb la, imperare, label=none, meaning 'to order, to command'. It was originally employed as a title roughly equivalent to ''commander'' under the Roman Republic. Later it became a part o ...
'' for claimed victories in the
Amanus Mountains
The Nur Mountains ( tr, Nur Dağları, "Mountains of Holy Light"), formerly known as Alma-Dağ, the ancient Amanus ( grc, Ἁμανός), medieval Black Mountain, or Jabal al-Lukkam in Arabic, is a mountain range in the Hatay Province of sout ...
— as noted disparagingly by Caesar.
In 48 BC, Scipio brought his forces from Asia to
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, where he manoeuvred against
Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus
Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus was a Roman general, senator and consul (both in 53 BC and 40 BC) who was a loyal partisan of Caesar and Octavianus.
Biography
Domitius Calvinus came from a noble family and was elected consul for 53 BC, despite a notor ...
and
Lucius Cassius until the arrival of Pompeius. At the
Battle of Pharsalus
The Battle of Pharsalus was the decisive battle of Caesar's Civil War fought on 9 August 48 BC near Pharsalus in central Greece. Julius Caesar and his allies formed up opposite the army of the Roman Republic under the command of Pompey. P ...
, he commanded the centre. After the optimates' defeat by Caesar, Metellus fled to
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
. With the support of his former rival-in-romance Cato, he wrested the chief command of Pompeius' forces from the loyal
Publius Attius Varus
Publius Attius Varus (died 17 March 45 BC) was the Roman governor of Africa during the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey. He declared war against Caesar, and initially fought Gaius Scribonius Curio, who was sent against him in 49 BC.
P ...
, probably in early 47. In 46, he held command at the Battle of Thapsus, "without skill or success,"
and was defeated along with Cato. After the defeat, he tried to escape to the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
to continue the fight, but was cornered by the fleet of
Publius Sittius Publius Sittius (died 44 BC) was a Ancient Rome, Roman equites and mercenary commander. As a mercenary he was employed by king Bocchus II of Mauretania, East-Mauretania. Sittius fought for Bocchus against king Juba I of Numidia, capturing Juba's cap ...
. He committed suicide by stabbing himself, so he would not fall into the hands of his enemies.
Dignity in death
Facing death, Metellus Scipio achieved an uncharacteristic dignity, famously departing from his soldiers with a nonchalant ''Imperator se bene habet'' ("Your general's just fine").
[A translation that draws on Scipio's usual '' superbia'' over the '']sprezzatura
''Sprezzatura'' () is an Italian word that first appears in Baldassare Castiglione's 1528 ''The Book of the Courtier'', where it is defined by the author as "a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear ...
'' supposedly demonstrated here might be "The Imperator conducts himself well." These last words elicited strong praise from the
Stoic
Stoic may refer to:
* An adherent of Stoicism; one whose moral quality is associated with that school of philosophy
* STOIC, a programming language
* ''Stoic'' (film), a 2009 film by Uwe Boll
* ''Stoic'' (mixtape), a 2012 mixtape by rapper T-Pain
* ...
moral philosopher
Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...
Seneca
Seneca may refer to:
People and language
* Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname
* Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America
** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people
Places Extrat ...
:
Assessment
Classical scholar
John H. Collins summed up the character and reputation of Metellus Scipio:
See also
*
Caecilia gens
The gens Caecilia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are mentioned in history as early as the fifth century BC, but the first of the Caecilii who obtained the consulship was Lucius Caecilius Metellus Denter, in 284 BC.'' ...
Selected bibliography
*
Linderski, Jerzy. "Q. Scipio Imperator." In ''Imperium sine fine: T. Robert S. Broughton and the Roman Republic''. Franz Steiner, 1996, pp. 144–185. Limited previe
online.*
Syme, Ronald. "The Last Scipiones." In ''The Augustan Aristocracy''. Oxford University Press, 1989, pp. 244–24
online.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio, Quintus
1st-century BC births
Year of birth uncertain
46 BC deaths
1st-century BC Roman governors of Syria
1st-century BC Roman consuls
Ancient Roman adoptees
Ancient Roman generals
Ancient Roman military personnel who committed suicide
Pius Scipio, Quintus
Cornelii Scipiones
Optimates
Pontifices
Roman Republican praetors