Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio

Denarius of Metellus Scipio

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio (* between 100 and 98 BC; † 46 BC in Hippo Regius ) was a leading politician and military commander during the final phase of the Roman Republic . He originally had the same name as his biological father, Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica , until he was adopted by Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius . His birth mother was Licinia , a daughter of the speaker Lucius Licinius Crassus . As a member of the Caecilii Metelli or Scipions family , he belonged to the top social class of Rome.

Life

Metellus Scipio, as he is also known, occurred in 70 BC. BC first emerged in public when he was one of the defenders who stood by the former provincial governor Verres against Cicero , who was accused of abuse of office . In 63 BC During the Catiline conspiracy , he warned Cicero, who was serving as consul that year, against a planned assassination attempt on this; For his part, Cicero defended it in 59 BC. When he held the office of tribune . Metellus Scipio probably began the actual official career ( cursus honorum ) in 57 BC. As aedile . 55 BC He became praetor in 53 BC. Chr. Interrex and 52 v. Consul for the last five months of the year, after Pompey held this dual office first alone. In the same year he also became the father-in-law of Pompey, who married his daughter Cornelia Metella and also covered him in a trial for abuse of office.

In the phase shortly before the outbreak of the civil war, he clearly appeared in the leadership of the republican senate party of the younger Cato , although he also had some differences with Cato himself (in 56 BC he had written an invective against him). 51/50 BC BC and especially 49 BC He agitated against Caesar in a decisive way . 49/48 BC He took over the office of proconsul for the province of Syria , where he fought against the Parthians and gained the title of imperator , d. H. military commander in chief, assumed. He marched to Pompey with two legions to support him in the civil war against Caesar .

In Pharsalos he fought with Domitius Ahenobarbus and Lentulus Spinther for the office of Pontifex Maximus for the time after the victory against Caesar. After the lost battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC. Against Caesar he fled to Africa and received the supreme command of the troops of the murdered Pompey, but was killed in the battle of Thapsus in 46 BC. Crucially defeated by Caesar and committed suicide at Hippo Regius when Publius Sittius's fleet prevented his further escape.

literature

• Hans Georg Gundel : Metellus I. 23. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 3, Stuttgart 1969, column 1265.
• Friedrich Münzer : Caecilius 99 . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume III, 1, Stuttgart 1897, Col. 1224-1228.