Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus
Encyclopedia
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus (ca 160 BC – 91 BC) was the leader of the conservative faction of the Roman Senate
and a bitter enemy of Gaius Marius
.
In his youth he was sent to Athens
, where he studied under Carneades
, celebrated philosopher and great master of oratory
. He returned ostensibly cultured and with brilliant oratorical skills.
He was a Quaestor
in 126 BC, a Tribune in 121 BC, an Aedile
in 118 BC, a Praetor
in 115 BC, Governor
of Sicily
in 114 BC and elected Consul
in 109 BC, whereupon he led the war in Numidia
against Jugurtha
. The war dragged out into a long and seemingly endless campaign as the Romans tried to inflict a decisive defeat on Jugurtha. Frustrated at the apparent lack of action, Metellus' lieutenant Marius returned to Rome to seek election as Consul. Marius won the election, and returned to Numidia and to take control of the war. Metellus returned to Rome after the Battle of the Muthul
, extremely unhappy at Marius' displacement of him. He was surprised by the demonstrations of enthusiasm and recognition which he received from a faction of Senators and the people who did not support Marius. The Senate minted coins in Metellus' honor and he celebrated a triumph
, acquiring the cognomen
Numidicus, all of which caused great irritation to Marius.
Numidicus became the main leader of the aristocratic faction
, opposing the rapid political ascent of the popularist
Marius, who was favoured by the final success of the imprisonment and killing of Jugurtha thanks to a stratagem of Sulla
. Marius' reforms of the Roman Army where he recruited Romans without property and loyal to their general was a turning point in Roman history, and the reforms were bitterly opposed by Numidicus' conservative faction.
Numidicus was elected censor in 102 BC in partnership with his cousin Gaius Caecilius Metellus Caprarius
. During the censorship, he tried to expel Marius' ally Lucius Appuleius Saturninus
from the Senate, but without success. Afterwards, Saturninus had his revenge when he and Marius proposed an agrarian law awarding land to Roman veterans, with an additional clause that obliged every Senator to swear allegiance to Marius, under penalty of banishment and a heavy fine. In an effort to have law passed, Marius inserted a clause in the law that would annul the swearing, so that any opponents of his could support the veteran land award publicly but annul the personal allegiance to Marius privately, allowing Marius the glory of universal support. Numidicus would not submit to this subterfuge. He refused to swear obedience to a law to which he opposed, paid the corresponding fine and left to exile. After leaving the Forum
, he said to his friends: To do harm is proper of the evil spirits; to do good without taking risks is proper of the ordinary spirits; the man of heart never ever deflects from what is fair and honest, never looking to rewards or to threats. A year later, in 99 BC, he was returned to Rome, thanks to the tireless struggle of his son, Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius
whose cognomen Pius reflected his reverence for his father. Metellus returned to Rome and to his houses at the Palatine Hill
and the Via Tiburtina
and lived there the rest of his days, intervening little in public affairs.
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
and a bitter enemy of Gaius Marius
Gaius Marius
Gaius Marius was a Roman general and statesman. He was elected consul an unprecedented seven times during his career. He was also noted for his dramatic reforms of Roman armies, authorizing recruitment of landless citizens, eliminating the manipular military formations, and reorganizing the...
.
In his youth he was sent to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, where he studied under Carneades
Carneades
Carneades was an Academic skeptic born in Cyrene. By the year 159 BC, he had started to refute all previous dogmatic doctrines, especially Stoicism, and even the Epicureans whom previous skeptics had spared. As head of the Academy, he was one of three philosophers sent to Rome in 155 BC where his...
, celebrated philosopher and great master of oratory
Oratory
Oratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...
. He returned ostensibly cultured and with brilliant oratorical skills.
He was a Quaestor
Quaestor
A Quaestor was a type of public official in the "Cursus honorum" system who supervised financial affairs. In the Roman Republic a quaestor was an elected official whereas, with the autocratic government of the Roman Empire, quaestors were simply appointed....
in 126 BC, a Tribune in 121 BC, an Aedile
Aedile
Aedile was an 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 enforce public order. There were two pairs of aediles. Two aediles were from the ranks of plebeians and the other...
in 118 BC, a Praetor
Praetor
Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...
in 115 BC, Governor
Roman governor
A Roman governor was an official either elected or appointed to be the chief administrator of Roman law throughout one or more of the many provinces constituting the Roman Empire...
of Sicily
Sicilia (Roman province)
Sicilia was the first province acquired by the Roman Republic, organized in 241 BC as a proconsular governed territory, in the aftermath of the First Punic War with Carthage. It included Sicily and Malta...
in 114 BC and elected Consul
Roman consul
A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
in 109 BC, whereupon he led the war in Numidia
Numidia
Numidia was an ancient Berber kingdom in part of present-day Eastern Algeria and Western Tunisia in North Africa. It is known today as the Chawi-land, the land of the Chawi people , the direct descendants of the historical Numidians or the Massyles The kingdom began as a sovereign state and later...
against Jugurtha
Jugurtha
Jugurtha or Jugurthen was a King of Numidia, , born in Cirta .-Background:Until the reign of Jugurtha's grandfather Masinissa, the people of Numidia were semi-nomadic and indistinguishable from the other Libyans in North Africa...
. The war dragged out into a long and seemingly endless campaign as the Romans tried to inflict a decisive defeat on Jugurtha. Frustrated at the apparent lack of action, Metellus' lieutenant Marius returned to Rome to seek election as Consul. Marius won the election, and returned to Numidia and to take control of the war. Metellus returned to Rome after the Battle of the Muthul
Battle of the Muthul
The Battle of the Muthul was an episode of the Jugurthine War. This battle was fought in 108 BC between the Numidians led by King Jugurtha, and a Roman force under Caecilius Metellus. The Romans were victorious, and four years later Jugurtha was dead, executed by the Romans following his capture...
, extremely unhappy at Marius' displacement of him. He was surprised by the demonstrations of enthusiasm and recognition which he received from a faction of Senators and the people who did not support Marius. The Senate minted coins in Metellus' honor and he celebrated a triumph
Roman triumph
The Roman triumph was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the military achievement of an army commander who had won great military successes, or originally and traditionally, one who had successfully completed a foreign war. In Republican...
, acquiring the cognomen
Cognomen
The cognomen nōmen "name") was the third name of a citizen of Ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. The cognomen started as a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditary. Hereditary cognomina were used to augment the second name in order to identify a particular branch within...
Numidicus, all of which caused great irritation to Marius.
Numidicus became the main leader of the aristocratic faction
Optimates
The optimates were the traditionalist majority of the late Roman Republic. They wished to limit the power of the popular assemblies and the Tribunes of the Plebs, and to extend the power of the Senate, which was viewed as more dedicated to the interests of the aristocrats who held the reins of power...
, opposing the rapid political ascent of the popularist
Populares
Populares were aristocratic leaders in the late Roman Republic who relied on the people's assemblies and tribunate to acquire political power. They are regarded in modern scholarship as in opposition to the optimates, who are identified with the conservative interests of a senatorial elite...
Marius, who was favoured by the final success of the imprisonment and killing of Jugurtha thanks to a stratagem of Sulla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix , known commonly as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He had the rare distinction of holding the office of consul twice, as well as that of dictator...
. Marius' reforms of the Roman Army where he recruited Romans without property and loyal to their general was a turning point in Roman history, and the reforms were bitterly opposed by Numidicus' conservative faction.
Numidicus was elected censor in 102 BC in partnership with his cousin Gaius Caecilius Metellus Caprarius
Gaius Caecilius Metellus Caprarius
Gaius Caecilius Metellus Caprarius was born around 160 BC. He served under Scipio Aemilianus in Numantia around 133 BC. He was praetor in 117 BC and consul in 113 BC; his co-consul was Gnaeus Papirius Carbo. Caprarius was proconsul in Thrace from 112-111 BC. He triumphed for his victory there in...
. During the censorship, he tried to expel Marius' ally Lucius Appuleius Saturninus
Lucius Appuleius Saturninus
Lucius Appuleius Saturninus was a Roman popularist and tribune; he was a political ally of Gaius Marius, and his downfall caused a great deal of political embarrassment for Marius, who absented himself from public life until he returned to take up a command in the Social War of 91 to 88...
from the Senate, but without success. Afterwards, Saturninus had his revenge when he and Marius proposed an agrarian law awarding land to Roman veterans, with an additional clause that obliged every Senator to swear allegiance to Marius, under penalty of banishment and a heavy fine. In an effort to have law passed, Marius inserted a clause in the law that would annul the swearing, so that any opponents of his could support the veteran land award publicly but annul the personal allegiance to Marius privately, allowing Marius the glory of universal support. Numidicus would not submit to this subterfuge. He refused to swear obedience to a law to which he opposed, paid the corresponding fine and left to exile. After leaving the Forum
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum is a rectangular forum surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum...
, he said to his friends: To do harm is proper of the evil spirits; to do good without taking risks is proper of the ordinary spirits; the man of heart never ever deflects from what is fair and honest, never looking to rewards or to threats. A year later, in 99 BC, he was returned to Rome, thanks to the tireless struggle of his son, Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius was a pro-Sullan politician and general. He was named Pius because of his 99 BC petition to return his father from exile and was true to his cognomen for the constance and inflexibility with which he always fought for his father's rehabilitation and return to...
whose cognomen Pius reflected his reverence for his father. Metellus returned to Rome and to his houses at the Palatine Hill
Palatine Hill
The Palatine Hill is the centermost of the Seven Hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city...
and the Via Tiburtina
Via Tiburtina
Via Tiburtina is an ancient road in Italy leading east-northeast from Rome to Tivoli . It was built by the Roman consul Marcus Valerius Maximus around 286 BC and later lengthened to the territories of the Marsi and the Equi, in the Abruzzo, as Via Valeria. Its total length was approximately...
and lived there the rest of his days, intervening little in public affairs.
Further reading
- Manuel Dejante Pinto de Magalhães Arnao Metello and João Carlos Metello de Nápoles, "Metellos de Portugal, Brasil e Roma", Torres Novas, 1998