Gaius Caecilius Metellus Caprarius (born c. 160 BC) was a

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 ...

of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...

in 113 BC with

Gnaeus Papirius Carbo Gnaeus Papirius Carbo (c. 129 – 82 BC) was thrice consul of the Roman Republic in 85, 84, and 82 BC. He was the head of the Marianists after the death of Cinna in 84 and led the resistance to Sulla during the civil war. He was proscribed by Su ...

. He served under

Scipio Aemilianus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Aemilianus (185–129 BC), known as Scipio Aemilianus or Scipio Africanus the Younger, was a Roman general and statesman noted for his military exploits in the Third Punic War against Carthage and during the ...

Numantia Numantia ( es, Numancia) is an ancient Celtiberian settlement, whose remains are located on a hill known as Cerro de la Muela in the current municipality of Garray (Soria), Spain. Numantia is famous for its role in the Celtiberian Wars. In 15 ...

around 133 BC. He was

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 ...

in 117 BC. His

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 ' ...

ship in

Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...

in 112–111 BC earned him a

triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...

. He was censor in 102 BC with his cousin,

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus (c. 155 BC – 91 BC) was an ancient Roman statesman and general, he was a leader of the Optimates, the conservative faction of the Roman Senate. He was a bitter political opponent of Gaius Marius. He was consul ...

Family

The Caecilii Metelli were an extremely prominent family in the late

. They were conservative aristocrats, though members of the

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 ...

gens In ancient Rome, a gens ( or , ; plural: ''gentes'' ) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same Roman naming conventions#Nomen, nomen and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a ''stirps'' (p ...

Caecilia ''Caecilia'' is a genus of amphibians in the family Caeciliidae Caeciliidae is the family of common caecilians. They are found in Central and South America. Like other caecilians, they superficially resemble worms or snakes. Although they ...

. Caprarius was the youngest son of

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus (c. 188 BC – 116 BC/115 BC) was a statesman and general of the Roman Republic during the second century BC. He was praetor in 148 BC, consul in 143 BC, the Proconsul of Hispania Citerior in 142 BC an ...

. Macedonicus was praetor in 148 BC and consul in 143 BC. He received the command in Macedonia, where he defeated a pretender to the throne named

Andriscus Andriscus ( grc, Ἀνδρίσκος, ''Andrískos''; 154/153 BC – 146 BC), also often referenced as Pseudo-Philip, was a Greek pretender who became the last independent king of Macedon in 149 BC as Philip VI ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος, ''Phil ...

. He received a triumph and the

cognomen A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became here ...

'Macedonicus' for this victory. He was censor in 131 BC. Macedonicus was a conservative aristocrat and opposed

Tiberius Gracchus Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus ( 163 – 133 BC) was a Roman politician best known for his agrarian law, agrarian reform law entailing the transfer of land from the Roman state and wealthy landowners to poorer citizens. He had also serve ...

and

Gaius Gracchus Gaius Sempronius Gracchus ( – 121 BC) was a reformist Roman politician in the 2nd century BC. He is most famous for his tribunate for the years 123 and 122 BC, in which he proposed a wide set of laws, including laws to establish ...

,Salazar, Christine F. Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopedia of the Ancient World Vol 2. Boston: Brill Leiden. 2003. 874-879. who went around 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 ...

and based their power on the people.

Caprarius' eldest brother was

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Balearicus Quintus Caecilius Metellus Balearicus (born c. 170 BC) was a Roman statesman and general who was elected consul for the year 123 BC. Career Quintus Caecilius Metellus was the eldest son of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus, the Roman consul o ...

. He went to

Thessaly Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thes ...

to obtain grain as

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 ...

around 130 BC. He was praetor by 126 BC and consul in 123 BC. Balearicus was given the command to defeat the inhabitants of the

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...

, who practiced piracy. He was victorious and triumphed in 121 BC, receiving the cognomen 'Balearicus'. He was censor in 120 BC. Caprarius' second brother was

Lucius Caecilius Metellus Diadematus Lucius Caecilius Metellus Diadematus was the second son of Roman politician and general Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus. During his consulship in 117 BC he supported the development of roads in Italy and he probably built ''Via Caecilia''. A ...

. He was given the cognomen 'Diadematus' because of the bandage he wore on a head wound. He was consul in 117 BC, and promoted infrastructural improvement in Italy. A conservative aristocrat like his father, he probably opposed Gaius Gracchus. The third brother was Marcus Caecilius Metellus. He was mint master in 127 BC, praetor by 118 BC, and consul in 115 BC. Marcus was given the proconsular command in

Corsica and Sardinia The Province of Sardinia and Corsica ( la, Provincia Sardinia et Corsica) was an ancient Roman province including the islands of Sardinia and Corsica. Pre-Roman times The Nuragic civilization flourished in Sardinia from 1800 to 500 BC. The ...

from 114 BC to 111 BC, and triumphed for his victory there. Caprarius had two sisters, both named Caecilia Metella. One married

Gaius Servilius Vatia Gaius Servilius Vatia was a politician of the Roman Republic in the second half of the 2nd century BC. Vatia belonged to the gens Servilia, which was initially patrician, but went over to the plebeians during the Second Punic War. He was probab ...

, who was praetor in 114 BC. The other married

Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Serapio Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Serapio (182/181–132 BC) was a politician of the Roman Republic best remembered today for leading a mob that assassinated the tribune Tiberius Gracchus, and hunted and killed Tiberius' supporters afterwards. A ...

, who was consul in 111 BC. Caprarius had three sons. One was

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus (c. 114 BC – late 50s BC) was a politically active member of the Roman upper class. He was praetor in 74 BC and pontifex from 73 BC until his death. He was consul in 69 BC along with Quintus Hortensius Hortalu ...

, who was praetor in 74 BC and consul in 69 BC. He was pontifex from 73 BC until his death. Creticus was given the proconsular command against the island of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

, which was aiding Mithridates and infested with

pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

. He defeated the island and triumphed for it in 62 BC, receiving the cognomen 'Creticus'. Another son was Lucius Caecilius Metellus. He was praetor in 71 BC. He succeeded

Gaius Verres Gaius Verres (c. 120–43 BC) was a Roman magistrate, notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily. His extortion of local farmers and plundering of temples led to his prosecution by Cicero, whose accusations were so devastating that his defence adv ...

as governor of

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

in 70 BC. He died in office as consul in 68 BC. Marcus Caecilius Metellus was Caprarius' third son. He was praetor and president of the extortion court in 69 BC. Caprarius' daughter, Caecilia Metella, was the wife of Gaius Verres. Verres was the governor of Sicily from 73 BC to 71 BC. He was also the defendant on trial in

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 ...

's speech ''Against Verres.''

Position as Censor

Caprarius was censor in 102 BC with his cousin, Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus. The purpose of the censors was to monitor the roll of the Senate and remove people from it when necessary. The office of censor was not held every year as others, such as the office of consul, were. Numidicus was the son of

Lucius Caecilius Metellus Calvus Lucius Caecilius Metellus Calvus (c. 200 BC or before 178 BC – after 136 BC) was a Roman statesman. He was a son of Quintus Caecilius Metellus and brother of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus. First Calvus used to be a Praetor, later a ...

. Numidicus was possibly mint master in 117 or 116 BC, he was praetor by 112 BC, and he was consul in 109 BC. Both Caprarius and Numidicus were conservative aristocrats, in keeping with their family history. In their censorship, Numidicus tried unsuccessfully to expel

Lucius Appuleius Saturninus Lucius Appuleius Saturninus (died late 100 BC) was a Roman populist and tribune. He is most notable for introducing a series of legislative reforms, alongside his associate Gaius Servilius Glaucia and with the consent of Gaius Marius, during the l ...

and

Gaius Servilius Glaucia Gaius Servilius Glaucia (died late 100 BC) was a Roman politician who served as praetor in 100 BC. He is most well known for being an illegal candidate for the consulship of 99 BC. He was killed during riots and political violence i ...

from the Senate. Saturninus was a popularis, a politician that drew his power from the people. He was of

stock. He was removed from his position as quaestor in 105 or 104 BC for being an opponent of the Senate. He proposed a law to reduce grain prices that received the support of Glaucia. Glaucia was from a

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 ...

family, but he, like Saturninus, was a popularis. Both had the support of

Gaius Marius Gaius Marius (; – 13 January 86 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. Victor of the Cimbric and Jugurthine wars, he held the office of consul an unprecedented seven times during his career. He was also noted for his important refor ...

. Glaucia collaborated with Saturninus against the Senate as

tribune Tribune () was the title of various elected officials in ancient Rome. The two most important were the tribunes of the plebs and the military tribunes. For most of Roman history, a college of ten tribunes of the plebs acted as a check on the ...

in 101 BC and his praetorship in 100 BC. Glaucia and Saturninus conspired to make Glaucia consul and Saturninus tribune in 99 BC. They used violence in an attempt to reach their goal, and Saturninus murdered Glaucia's competitor for the consulship. Glaucia and Saturninus were imprisoned in the

Curia Curia (Latin plural curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally likely had wider powers, they came ...

by Marius at the Senate's behest. They were both murdered by an angry mob. To get revenge for the attempted expulsion from the Senate, Saturninus tried to force Numidicus to swear acceptance of a law that gave land to Marius' veterans. Numidicus refused and went into exile. Caprarius fought for Numidicus' return in 99 BC.

References

Sources

*Broughton, T. Robert. ''Magistrates of the Roman Republic Vol. 1.'' New York: American Philological Association. 1951. 535. *Broughton, T. Robert. ''Magistrates of the Roman Republic Vol. 2.'' New York: American Philological Association. 1952. 71, 122, 137. *Salazar, Christine F. ''Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopedia of the Ancient World Vol 1.'' Boston: Brill Leiden. 2003. 903. *Salazar, Christine F. ''Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopedia of the Ancient World Vol 2.'' Boston: Brill Leiden. 2003. 874–879. *Salazar, Christine F. ''Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopedia of the Ancient World Vol 13.'' Boston: Brill Leiden. 2003. 903. {{DEFAULTSORT:Caecilius Metellus Caprarius, Gaius 160s BC births 1st-century BC deaths 2nd-century BC Roman consuls 1st-century BC Romans Ancient Roman generals Optimates Caprarius, Gaius Roman censors Roman Republican praetors Year of birth uncertain Year of death unknown Date of death unknown

Family

Position as Censor

See also

References

Sources