Caecilius Metellus
The Caecilii Metelli (plural of Caecilius Metellus ) were one of the most important and richest plebeian families in the Roman Republic . The Caecilii Metelli had from the 3rd century BC Until the end of the republic of great political importance, members of the family held every office of the cursus honorum and held numerous military commands.
Important members of the family were:
- Lucius Caecilius Metellus Denter , consul 284 BC Chr .;
- Lucius Caecilius Metellus , Consul 251 and 247 BC BC, pontifex maximus since 243 BC Chr .;
- Quintus Caecilius Metellus , Consul 206 BC. Chr .;
- Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus , Consul 143 BC. BC, censor 131 BC Chr .;
- Lucius Caecilius Metellus Calvus , Consul 142 BC Chr .;
- Quintus Caecilius Metellus Balearicus , Consul 123 BC BC, censor 120 BC Chr .;
- Lucius Caecilius Metellus Delmaticus , Consul 119 BC BC, pontifex maximus since 115 BC Chr .;
- Lucius Caecilius Metellus Diadematus , Consul 117 BC Chr.,;
- Marcus Caecilius Metellus , Consul 115 BC Chr .;
- Gaius Caecilius Metellus Caprarius , Consul 113 BC BC, censor 102 BC Chr .;
- Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus , Consul 109 BC BC, censor 102 BC Chr .;
- Quintus Caecilius Metellus Nepos , consul 98 BC Chr .;
- Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius , consul 80 BC. Chr .;
- Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus , Consul 69 BC. Chr .;
- Lucius Caecilius Metellus , Consul 68 BC Chr .;
- Quintus Caecilius Metellus Celer , Consul 60 BC Chr .;
- Quintus Caecilius Metellus Nepos , Consul 57 BC. Chr .;
- Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio , Consul 52 BC Chr .;
- Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus Silanus , consul 7 AD
The women of the family were called Caecilia Metella according to the Roman naming conventions . To distinguish them, they often wore their father's cognomen in the feminine form. They included:
- Caecilia Metella Dalmatica , wife of the elder Marcus Aemilius Scaurus and Sulla in succession ;
- Caecilia Metella Calva , mother of Lucius Licinius Lucullus ;
- Caecilia Metella Balearica Minor , mother of Publius Clodius Pulcher ;
- Caecilia Metella Celer , wife of Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther ;
- Caecilia Metella Cretica , daughter-in-law of Marcus Licinius Crassus .
Caecilii Metelli in the literature
The American author John Maddox Roberts has made a fictional member of the Caecilii Metelli named Decius Caecilius Metellus the main character of his crime series SPQR . He also invented his fictional father, the older Decius Caecilius, allegedly consul around 68 or 67. The novels are closely based on historical events and take place in the years 70–22 BC. Some of the above-mentioned Metellers such as Nepos, Celer, Scipio or Creticus have supporting roles in them, many other historical figures of the late Republican era are also mentioned in leading and supporting roles. The main adversary of the fictional Decius is the real Publius Clodius Pulcher .
