Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus Silanus, born Iunius Silanus was

adopted Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...

by Quintus Caecilius Metellus, a descendant of the optimate

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 Hortalus ...

and the natural son of Marcus Junius Silanus. He 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 th ...

in AD 7 and governor of Syria from AD 13 to 17. Silanus was socially connected with the then-heir to the Roman

principate The Principate is the name sometimes given to the first period of the Roman Empire from the beginning of the reign of Augustus in 27 BC to the end of the Crisis of the Third Century in AD 284, after which it evolved into the so-called Dominate ...

Germanicus Germanicus Julius Caesar (24 May 15 BC – 10 October AD 19) was an ancient Roman general, known for his campaigns in Germania. The son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia the Younger, Germanicus was born into an influential branch of the pat ...

; his daughter at one time was betrothed to Germanicus' son

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 unt ...

.Tacitus, The Annals 2.43 Towards the end of his governorship Vonones seized the throne of

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ...

, but Vonones was unpopular with the neighbouring

Parthian Empire The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe in conq ...

and war threatened. The Romans, not desiring war with Parthia, had Creticus Silanus summon Vonones to his court in Syria in AD 16. There Vonones was kept under surveillance while allowed to retain his royal pomp and title.Tacitus, The Annals 2.4 Creticus Silanus was removed as governor of Syria by

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

to make way for

Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso may refer to: * Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso (consul 23 BC) * Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso (consul 7 BC) Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso (c. 44/43 BCAD 20), was a Roman statesman during the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius. He served as consul ...

in AD 17.

Notes

* Simmons, Dustin
From Obscurity to Fame and Back Again: The Caecilii Metelli in the Roman Republic
MA Thesis, Brigham Young University, 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Caecilius Metellus Creticus Silanus, Quintus Year of birth unknown 1st-century BC births 1st-century deaths Year of death unknown 1st-century BC Romans 1st-century Romans 1st-century Roman governors of Syria Roman governors of Syria Imperial Roman consuls Caecilii Metelli Ancient Roman adoptees