Quintus Caecilius Metellus (c. 250 BC – 175 BC) was a
pontiff
A pontiff (from Latin ''pontifex'') was, in Roman antiquity, a member of the most illustrious of the colleges of priests of the Roman religion, the College of Pontiffs."Pontifex". "Oxford English Dictionary", March 2007 The term "pontiff" was late ...
in 216 BC,
aedile of the
plebeians
In ancient Rome, the plebeians (also called plebs) were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words " commoners". Both classes were hereditary.
Etymology
The precise origins of ...
in 209 BC,
curule aedile in 208 BC,
magister equitum
The , in English Master of the Horse or Master of the Cavalry, was a Roman magistrate appointed as lieutenant to a dictator. His nominal function was to serve as commander of the Roman cavalry in time of war, but just as a dictator could be nomi ...
in 207 BC,
consul
Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...
in 206 BC,
dictator
A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in times ...
in 205 BC,
proconsul of Bruttium in 204 BC,
and an
ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
at the
court
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...
of
Philip V of Macedon
Philip V ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 238–179 BC) was king ( Basileus) of Macedonia from 221 to 179 BC. Philip's reign was principally marked by an unsuccessful struggle with the emerging power of the Roman Republic. He would lead Macedon ag ...
in 185 BC.
He served as a
legate
Legate may refer to:
*Legatus, a higher ranking general officer of the Roman army drawn from among the senatorial class
:*Legatus Augusti pro praetore, a provincial governor in the Roman Imperial period
*A member of a legation
*A representative, ...
in the army of
Gaius Claudius Nero and fought in the war against
Hannibal
Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Puni ...
.
He was also distinguished as an
orator, the funeral sermon he pronounced at his father's funeral being counted amount his best speeches.
He was the father of
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus and
Lucius Caecilius Metellus Calvus.
Family Background
Quintus Caecilius Metellus was the son of
Lucius Caecilius Metellus, a successful general who defeated
Hasdrubal Hasdrubal ( grc-gre, Ἀσδρούβας, ''Hasdroúbas'') is the Latinized form of the Carthaginian name ʿAzrubaʿal ( xpu, 𐤏𐤆𐤓𐤁𐤏𐤋 , , "Help of Baal").
It may refer to:
* Hasdrubal I of Carthage was the Magonid king of Ancient ...
at
Panormus in the First Punic War. Both father and son were members of the famed
gens Caecilia, a powerful
plebeian
In ancient Rome, the plebeians (also called plebs) were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words " commoners". Both classes were hereditary.
Etymology
The precise origins of ...
family of the late
Republic
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
.
Early career
Caecilius Metellus first appears in the historical record in 221 BC, delivering a
panegyric
A panegyric ( or ) is a formal public speech or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing. The original panegyrics were speeches delivered at public events in ancient Athens.
Etymology
The word originated as a compound of grc, ...
at the obsequies of his father, Lucius, who died that year. Quintus declared that "his father had achieved the ten greatest and highest objects in the pursuit of which wise men pass their lives". Among these he included being a "brave commander", "supreme orator", and "eminent member of 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 ...
".
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 ...
comments that Caecilius Metellus was considered "a good speaker" by his contemporaries, alongside the likes of the famed
Quintus Maximus Verrucosus.
In the disastrous year of 216 BC, after the grave Roman defeat at the
Battle of Cannae
The Battle of Cannae () was a key engagement of the Second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Carthage, fought on 2 August 216 BC near the ancient village of Cannae in Apulia, southeast Italy. The Carthaginians and their allies, led by ...
, Metellus, alongside
Quintus Fabius and
Quintus Fulvius Flaccus, were all made pontiffs, to replace
Publius Scantinius,
Lucius Aemilius Paullus, and
Quintus Aelius Paetus
Quintus is a male given name derived from ''Quintus'', a common Latin forename (''praenomen'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Quintus derives from Latin word ''quintus'', meaning "fifth".
Quintus is an English masculine given name and a ...
, all of whom had fallen at the previously mentioned battle.
Caecilius Metellus then, in 209 BC, is recorded by Livy as having become an Aedile of the Plebeians, alongside
Gaius Servilius Geminus
Gaius Servilius Geminus (died 180 BC) was a Roman statesman who served as Consul in 203 BC, Dictator in 202 BC (the last in 120 years), and '' Pontifex Maximus'' from 183 BC to 180 BC.
Heritage
Geminus was the son of Gaius Servilius Geminus, a ...
.
Metellus was accordingly made
Curule Aedile during the next year, 208 BC, again alongside Geminus; the two Curule Aediles were noted by
Livy
Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Ancient Rome, Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditiona ...
as having ordered that year's
Roman Games to be repeated for one day.
Taking up a position as a lieutenant-general,
or legate, in Gaius Claudius Nero's army, Metellus, along with
Lucius Veturius Philo and
Publius Licinius Varussent
Publius may refer to:
Roman name
* Publius (praenomen)
* Ancient Romans with the name:
** Publius Valerius Publicola (died 503 BC), Roman consul, co-founder of the Republic
**Publius Clodius Pulcher (c. 93 BC – 52 BC), Republican politician
* ...
, was sent back to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
in 207 BC to announce the Roman victory in and death of
Hasdrubal Barca
Hasdrubal Barca (245– 22June 207BC), a latinization of ʿAzrubaʿal ( xpu, 𐤏𐤆𐤓𐤁𐤏𐤋 ) son of Hamilcar Barca, was a Carthaginian general in the Second Punic War. He was the brother of Hannibal and Mago Barca.
Youth and Iberian ...
at the
Battle of the Metaurus. Making their way into the
Forum
Forum or The Forum (plural forums or fora) may refer to:
Common uses
* Forum (legal), designated space for public expression in the United States
*Forum (Roman), open public space within a Roman city
**Roman Forum, most famous example
*Internet ...
, the three emissaries were forced to push their way through jubilant masses and into the senate, where Veturius read out the news, to the shouted approval of the senate, which declared a three day's thanksgiving.
Rise to Prominence during the Second Punic War
Horsemen under Gaius Claudius Nero's command praised Caecilius Metellus and Veturius Philo highly for their actions during the campaign, and exhorted the commons to create the two as consuls for the next year. This opinion was seconded by the two consuls of 207 BC, Gaius Nero and
Marcus Livius Salinator, the consuls sighting the "courage and fidelity" with which their legates had served them.
Salinator, serving as dictator with the purpose of holding the ''
comitia'' in 207, therefore made Caecilius Metellus his ''magister equitum'', as well as consul for the upcoming year 206 BC, declaring that he would become so at the previously mentioned ''comitia''.
![Magna Grecia 280aC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Magna_Grecia_280aC.jpg)
Accordingly, appointed by Salinator, Caecilius Metellus served as consul in the year 206 BC, alongside the previously mentioned Lucius Veturius Philo.
Both new consuls were appointed to the province of Bruttium, "to carry on the war with Hannibal".
Nothing much of note is said to have taken place in the area during Metellus' consulship, although Livy does recount some happenings.
Before leaving Rome, the two new consuls were instructed by the senate to return to their lands plebeians who had been displaced during earlier years of the war in the ravaged and desolated province. The senate also commanded this due to complaints they had received from inhabitants of the province concerning neighboring
Gauls
The Gauls ( la, Galli; grc, Γαλάται, ''Galátai'') were a group of Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age and the Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). They s ...
, who, taking advantage of the wartime confusion, laid waste to many areas therein. The two consuls preemptively, before heading to Bruttium, published an edict that required the citizens of
Cremona
Cremona (, also ; ; lmo, label= Cremunés, Cremùna; egl, Carmona) is a city and ''comune'' in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po river in the middle of the ''Pianura Padana'' ( Po Valley). It is the capital of th ...
and Placentia to return to their homes, giving a deadline for them to do so. The consuls found that many had returned to their homes upon their arrival in the province at the beginning of that spring, and, presumably to drive away the roving Gauls and still-present
Carthaginian The term Carthaginian ( la, Carthaginiensis ) usually refers to a citizen of Ancient Carthage.
It can also refer to:
* Carthaginian (ship), a three-masted schooner built in 1921
* Insurgent privateers; nineteenth-century South American privateers, ...
-aligned forces that yet held control in parts of Bruttium traitorous to Rome, ravaged the district of
Consentia
Cosenza (; :it:Dialetto cosentino, local dialect: ''Cusenza'', ) is a city in Calabria, Italy. The city centre has a population of approximately 70,000; the urban area counts more than 200,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Province of Cosen ...
, taking much loot with them. Despite being ambushed on their way towards
Lucania after the looting by Bruttians and
Numidian javelin-men, there was more confusion than real danger, and the plunder, as well as most of the men, were saved. Lucania thereafter returned its allegiance to Rome without resistance.
During his time as consul, before having departed Rome for the campaign in Bruttium, it is also known that Caecilius Metellus came into dispute with the poet
Gnaeus Naevius
Gnaeus Naevius (; c. 270 – c. 201 BC) was a Roman epic poet and dramatist of the Old Latin period. He had a notable literary career at Rome until his satiric comments delivered in comedy angered the Metellus family, one of whom was consul. A ...
, who, upon the accession of Metellus to the consulship, pronounced "It's fate that makes the Metelli consuls at Rome", to which Metellus responded "The Metelli will make the poet Naevius rue it", in reference to his witty remark. Naevius was later driven out of Rome by a Caecilius Metellus-led group of nobles and imprisoned at
Utica, where
St. Jerome states that he perished.
The next year, 205 BC, Metellus' consular army was disbanded as he was appointed dictator by
Publius Licinius Crassus Dives, the consul serving in Bruttium that year, with the stated purpose of holding the year's consular elections. Metellus made Veturius Philo, with whom he seemingly would have been close after years of service together, his ''magister equitum'', before successfully overseeing the election of
Marcus Cornelius Cethegus
__NOTOC__
Marcus Cornelius Cethegus (c. 248 BC196 BC) was a Roman Republican consul and censor during the Second Punic War, best known as a political ally of his kinsman Scipio Africanus.
Political career
He was chosen as curule aedile in ...
and
Publius Sempronius Tuditanus to the consulships of 204 BC. Metellus duly abdicated his office as dictator upon the conclusion of the elections.
Metellus then served as a proconsul with command over two legions in Bruttium, the province in which he had served as a consul, during the following year of 204 BC, with orders to continue the fight against Hannibal, alongside one of that year's consuls, Publius Sempronius Tuditanus.
Tuditanus defeated Hannibal in 204 BC at the Battle of Crotona, presumably with the assistance of proconsul Metellus.
After the completion of the
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of three wars fought between Carthage and Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For 17 years the two states struggled for supremacy, primarily in Ital ...
, in 201 BC, Metellus, appointed ''
decemvir
The decemviri or decemvirs (Latin for "ten men") were some of the several 10-man commissions established by the Roman Republic.
The most important were those of the two Decemvirates, formally the " decemvirate with consular power for writing ...
'', was sent along with nine other prominent Romans by the praetor of Rome,
Marcus Junius Pennus, to Samnium and Apulia to organize the redistribution of public lands to veterans returning from the
victorious campaign against Hannibal in Africa.
Before leaving on this mission, while still in Rome, Caecilius Metellus spoke before the Senate, saying that "he did not look upon its
he war'stermination as a blessing to Rome, since he feared that the Roman people would now sink back again into its former slumbers, from which it had been roused by the presence of Hannibal."
Later career
In 193 BC, Metellus is mentioned by Livy as delivering a speech to the
tribunes of the people,
Marcus Titinius and
Gaius Titinius, concerning the contradictions present in written reports delivered to the senate by a consul of that year,
Lucius Cornelius Merula, and a staff officer of his,
Marcus Claudius Marcellus, concerning
a battle against the
Boian Gauls which had taken place that year near
Mutina
Modena (, , ; egl, label= Modenese, Mòdna ; ett, Mutna; la, Mutina) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy.
A town, and seat ...
. His oratory was clearly still sharp at this point, as his proposal, that "nothing which the consul demanded should be decreed for the present", was accepted by the tribunes. Consul Merula demanded that he be granted a
triumph by the senate upon his return from campaign to Rome, but the tribunes, according to what they had agreed upon with Caecilius Metellus, declared that they would veto any action by the Senate attempting to allow Merula a triumph. The consul, in the end, was never given one. Historian William Heinemann claims that Metellus' "criticism of Merula was unjustified".
![Ancient Argos - Theatre 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Ancient_Argos_-_Theatre_2.jpg)
Later, in 185 BC, Caecilius Metellus was sent as an ambassador alongside
Marcus Baebius Tamphilus
Marcus Baebius Tamphilus was a consul of the Roman Republic in 181 BC along with P. Cornelius Cethegus. Baebius is credited with reform legislation pertaining to campaigns for political offices and electoral bribery (''ambitus''). The ''Lex Baebi ...
and a
Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus to the Court of Philip V of Macedon, to investigate various charges brought against the Macedonian king by some
Thessalians and
Epirotes
Epirus (; Epirote Greek: , ; Attic Greek: , ) was an ancient Greek kingdom, and later republic, located in the geographical region of Epirus, in north-western Greece and southern Albania. Home to the ancient Epirotes, the state was bordered by t ...
, as well as
Eumenes II of Pergamum
Eumenes II Soter (; grc-gre, Εὐμένης Σωτήρ; ruled 197–159 BC) was a ruler of Pergamon, and a son of Attalus I Soter and queen Apollonis and a member of the Attalid dynasty of Pergamon.
Biography
The eldest son of king Attalus I a ...
, in the wake of the Roman victory in the
Seleucid War.
There, Caecilius Metellus demanded that Philip evacuate the cities under his control in Thessaly and
Perrhaebia Perrhaebia ( el, Περραιβία) was the northernmost district of ancient Thessaly, where the tribe of the Perrhaebi lived. Major cities were: Pythion, Doliche, Azorus, Oloosson and Phalanna the capital. Perrhaebia was part of Macedon
...
. On his way back from Macedonia, Caecilius Metellus and the other ambassadors were passing through the city of
Argos
Argos most often refers to:
* Argos, Peloponnese, a city in Argolis, Greece
** Ancient Argos, the ancient city
* Argos (retailer), a catalogue retailer operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Argos or ARGOS may also refer to:
Businesses
* ...
, at the time controlled by the
Achaean League
The Achaean League (Greek: , ''Koinon ton Akhaion'' "League of Achaeans") was a Hellenistic-era confederation of Greek city states on the northern and central Peloponnese. The league was named after the region of Achaea in the northwestern Pel ...
, where they met the magistrates of said league. Caecilius Metellus dIsparaged them for their harsh treatment of the
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
ns, referring to poor management of that
city-state
A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...
after its defeat at the hands of the league during the
Laconian War of 195 BC, which included "the razing of their walls, the removal of the population as slaves into Achaia, and the abolition of the laws of
Lycurgus
Lycurgus or Lykourgos () may refer to:
People
* Lycurgus (king of Sparta) (third century BC)
* Lycurgus (lawgiver) (eighth century BC), creator of constitution of Sparta
* Lycurgus of Athens (fourth century BC), one of the 'ten notable orators' ...
, on which up to that day the stability of their State had rested". The ambassadors demanded that the Achaean popular assembly be summoned to speak with them to discuss these grievances, but were ignored.
Caecilius Metellus, along with Baebius Tamphilus and Sempronius Gracchus, returned to Rome in 184 BC, reporting on the state of affairs in Macedonia and the
Peloponnesus
The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge which ...
. Envoys from the Achaeans were also present in Rome at the time, and argued to the senate that their magistrates, in treating with Caecilius Metellus, had done nothing wrong, according to Achaean law, which dictated that the assembly was under no obligation to gather at the command of Roman ambassadors unless they came with a direct commandment from the senate to do so. Hearing this, Caecilius Metellus, stood up, accusing the Achaeans again of mismanagement of affairs in the Peloponnesus, whereupon the senate, after ensuring that the Achaeans would not make the same excuse again by clarifying the duty of the popular assembly to gather for Roman ambassadors, decided to send a new commission to the Achaeans.
In 179 BC, Caecilius Metellus addressed the two
censors for the year,
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus and
Marcus Fulvius Nobilior, between whom was raging a persistent feud, which had led to violent quarrels between them in the senate and
assembly
Assembly may refer to:
Organisations and meetings
* Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions
* General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...
. Upon being elected, the two new censors took their seats upon the
curule chairs at the altar of
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
, whereupon Metellus, along with other leaders of the senate and a "large body of citizens", appeared. Metellus' oratory skill is recorded one final time as he addresses the two censors, criticizing them in the name of the people for their misconduct, and demanding that they change their ways, saying that "all of us with one voice implore you to put an end to these quarrels on this day and on this hallowed ground; we ask that the men whom the Roman people have associated together by their vote may through us be reconciled to one another." The crowd, voicing its approval of Metellus' words, drowned out his voice as he finished, only for the two censors to begin arguing again. Feeling the pressure, though, they ultimately agreed to respect the will of the senators led by Metellus, and "gave their word to dismiss all angry feelings and put an end to their quarrel", shaking each other's hands "amidst universal applause". Caecilius Metellus, along with the other influential senators, were praised by the senate for their initiative.
Caecilius Metellus died in 175 BC.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caecilius Metellus, Quintus
3rd-century BC births
175 BC deaths
3rd-century BC Roman consuls
2nd-century BC Romans
Ancient Roman dictators
Quintus
Quintus is a male given name derived from '' Quintus'', a common Latin forename (''praenomen'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Quintus derives from Latin word ''quintus'', meaning "fifth".
Quintus is an English masculine given name and ...
Curule aediles
Plebeian aediles
Pontifices
Year of birth uncertain