Lucius Caecilius Metellus (consul 68 BC)

Last updated

Lucius Caecilius Metellus was a Roman aristocrat. He was praetor in 71 BC. He succeeded Gaius Verres as governor of Sicily in 70 BC. He died in office as consul in 68 BC. His co-consul was Quintus Marcius Rex.

Contents

Family

The Caecilii Metelli were an illustrious family of the Roman republic. They were politically conservative, although members of the plebeian gens Caecilia.

Lucius' grandfather was Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus. He was praetor in 148 BC, consul in 143 BC, and censor in 131 BC. He was given the command in Macedonia, where he defeated Andriscus, a pretender to the throne. He received a triumph and the cognomen 'Macedonicus' for his victory. He was an opponent of Tiberius Gracchus and Gaius Gracchus. [1]

Lucius' father was Gaius Caecilius Metellus Caprarius, Macedonicus' youngest son. Caprarius fought under Scipio Aemilianus in Numantia. He was praetor in 117 BC, consul in 113 BC, and fought as proconsul in Thrace in 112 BC. He triumphed for his victory in Thrace in 111 BC. He was censor in 102 BC.

Lucius had two brothers. One was Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus. Creticus was praetor in 74 BC, consul in 69 BC, and pontifex from 73 until his death in the late 50s BC. He was given the proconsular command against Crete during his consulship. He subjugated the island and triumphed for his victory in 62 BC. He was an opponent of Pompey. [1] Lucius' other brother was Marcus Caecilius Metellus. He was praetor and president of the extortion court in 69 BC.

Lucius' sister, Caecilia Metella, was married to Gaius Verres. Verres was governor of Sicily from 73 to 71 BC and the defendant on trial in Cicero's speech Against Verres I.

Role in Verres' trial

In Cicero's Against Verres , Cicero is the prosecuting attorney on behalf of the island of Sicily. They were prosecuting Verres for moral corruption, bribery, theft, and killing Roman citizens without a trial, something forbidden by Roman law. The trial took place in late 70 BC. Lucius's family supported Verres, and were well-positioned to support him: Lucius was Governor of Sicily when the trial took place, his elder brother, Creticus, was to be consul in 69 BC along with fellow Verres supporter Quintus Hortensius Hortalus, and Marcus, the youngest brother, was to be president of the extortion court in 69 BC. Because of this, Verres unsuccessfully tried to put off the trial until 69 BC, when the Caecilii Metelli and Hortensius would have the power to gain his acquittal.

See also

Related Research Articles

This article concerns the period 69 BC – 60 BC.

The Caecilii Metelli were one of the most important families of the late Roman Republic. They rose to prominence in the beginning of the third century, with the consulship of Lucius Caecilius Metellus Denter in 284 BC. It was however Quintus Caecilius Metellus, consul in 143, who greatly improved the prestige of the family, notably thanks to his victory during the Fourth Macedonian War, for which he received the agnomen Macedonicus. His descendants and those of his younger brother Lucius received an astonishing number of magistracies during the last century of the Republic.

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus 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 in 109 BC, in that capacity he commanded the Roman forces in Africa during the Jugurthine War. In 107 BC he was displaced from his command by Marius. On his return he was granted a triumph and the cognomen Numidicus. He later became a censor, entering into exile in opposition to Marius. Metellus Numidicus enjoyed a reputation for integrity in an era when Roman politics was increasingly corrupt.

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus Roman general and statesman

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus 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 and censor in 131 BC. He got his agnomen, Macedonicus, for his victory over the Macedonians in the Fourth Macedonian War.

"In Verrem" is a series of speeches made by Cicero in 70 BC, during the corruption and extortion trial of Gaius Verres, the former governor of Sicily. The speeches, which were concurrent with Cicero's election to the aedileship, paved the way for Cicero's public career.

<i>Imperium</i> (Harris novel)

Imperium is a 2006 novel by English author Robert Harris. It is a fictional biography of Cicero, told through the first-person narrator of his secretary Tiro, beginning with the prosecution of Verres.

Servilia was the wife of Quintus Lutatius Catulus, the consul during 102 BC. She was of the patrician Caepione branch of the Servilia gens.

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Celer, a member of the powerful Caecilius Metellus family who were at their zenith during Celer's lifetime. A son of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Nepos, or, according to some, the son of tribune Quintus Caecilius Metellus Celer while the latter is the son of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Nepos, was an ancient Roman statesman and general during the First Century BC. He became consul in 60 BC and previously he held the offices of praetor and augur.

Lucius Caecilius Metellus Calvus 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 Consul and Governor of Hispania in 142 BC, where he fought, without success, against Viriathus, then he became a Proconsul of Cisalpine Gaul in 141 BC, and from 140 BC to 139 he was a Legate. Also during those years, Calvus participated in an embassy to some Eastern states.

Lucius Caecilius Metellus was the son of Lucius Caecilius Metellus Denter. He was Consul in 251 BC and 247 BC, Pontifex Maximus in 243 BC and Dictator in 224 BC.

Quintus Caecilius Metellus (consul 206 BC) Roman consul (250 BC - 175 BC)

Quintus Caecilius Metellus was a pontiff in 216 BC, aedile of the plebeians in 209 BC, curule aedile in 208 BC, magister equitum in 207 BC, consul in 206 BC, dictator in 205 BC, proconsul of Bruttium in 204 BC, and an ambassador at the court of Philip V of Macedon in 185 BC.

Marcus Caecilius Metellus was a Roman senator and general. He belonged to the Caecilii Metelli, one of the most prominent aristocratic families in the mid to late Roman Republic. Marcus was the third of four sons of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus.

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Balearicus was a Roman statesman and general who was elected consul for the year 123 BC.

Gaius Caecilius Metellus Caprarius was a consul of the Roman Republic in 113 BC with Gnaeus Papirius Carbo. He served under Scipio Aemilianus in Numantia around 133 BC. He was praetor in 117 BC. His proconsulship in Thrace in 112–111 BC earned him a triumph. He was censor in 102 BC with his cousin, Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus.

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus 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.

Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica was a politician of the Roman Republic. He belonged to the great patrician family of the Cornelii Scipiones, and was the son of the pontifex maximus Nasica Serapio, who famously murdered Tiberius Gracchus in 133 BC. Nasica was on track to a prestigious career like most of his ancestors, being praetor in 118 BC, but he died during his consulship in 111 BC.

Quintus Pompeius was the name of various Romans from the gens Pompeia, who were of plebeian status. They lived during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire.

Caecilia gens Ancient Roman family

The gens Caecilia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are mentioned in history as early as the fifth century BC, but the first of the Caecilii who obtained the consulship was Lucius Caecilius Metellus Denter, in 284 BC. The Caecilii Metelli were one of the most powerful families of the late Republic, from the decades before the First Punic War down to the time of Augustus.

References

  1. 1 2 Salazar, Christine F. Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopedia of the Ancient World Vol 2. Boston: Brill Leiden. 2003. 874-879.
Preceded by Consul of the Roman Republic
with Quintus Marcius Rex
68 BC
Succeeded by