Quintus Cecilius Metellus Balearic

Quintus Cecilius belonged to the influential plebeian family Ceciliev Metellov , descending, according to legend, from the son of the god Vulcan Tsekul , the founder of the city of Prenest ^[1] . Metelles became part of the senatorial estate at the beginning of the III century BC. e.: the first consul of this kind was elected in 285 BC. e. Metellus of Balearic was the eldest of the four sons of Quintus Cecilius Metellus of Macedon ; his uncle was Lucius Cecilius Metell Calv , and cousins, respectively, Lucius Cecilius Metell of Dalmatia and Quintus Cecilius Metell of Numidi ^[2] .

For the first time, Quintus Cecilius is mentioned in sources in connection with the events of 129 BC. e. Then died Publius Cornelius Scipio Emilian , the main political opponent of Metellus of Macedon; the latter, despite the former enmity, ordered his sons to take part in the removal of the body ^{[3] [4]} .

In the following years, numerous Metellas began to take up a consular post one after another, making them the most powerful family in Rome. The first consul in this generation was Quintius Cecilius as the oldest in age ^[5] . Given the requirements of the law of Willius , which established the minimum time intervals between master's programs , the researchers dated at the latest 126 year BC. e. his prelude ^[6] , and in 123 BC. e. Quintus received a consulate, together with patrician Titus Quincius Flaminin ^[7] .

Metella Province became the Balearic Islands . Residents of this archipelago in the Western Mediterranean engaged in piracy, so the Roman Senate decided to pacify them. According to Lucius Anneus Florus , during the landing the Romans were fired upon by Balearic slingers, but in close combat they won an easy victory ^[8] . After that, for two years, Quintus Cecilius conquered all the islands ( Oroziy writes in this connection about the “great massacre” ^[9] ) and founded a number of cities (including Palma and Pollentia ), which he settled by immigrants from Italy and Spain ^[10] . In 121 BC e. he returned to Rome and was awarded the Balearic triumph and agnomen for his victories. ^[11] Already in 120 BC. e. Metell was elected to the post of censor , which crowned his career ^[12] ; sources note that he received all these outstanding honors during his father’s lifetime ^{[13] [14] [15] [16] [17]} .

Someone from Metellov helped to become a people's tribune in 119 BC. e. Guy Maria his client , and later tried to prevent one of his legislative initiatives and for this he was even temporarily arrested ^[18] . Some researchers believe that it was Metellus of Balearic, others are inclined in favor of Metellus of Dalmatia. It is equally unclear whether it was Balearic that Metellus, who first put his signature on the Senate decree on the Greek city of Adramittia ^[11] .

Quintus had a son, Quintus Cecilius Metellus Nepot , Consul 95 BC e. ^[19] , and a daughter ^[20] , which researchers have long considered the wife of Appius Claudius Pulhra , consul 79 years old. e. The prevailing opinion is that Pulhr was married to another Metella ^[21] .

Sources

1. Sextus Aurelius Victor . About famous people // Roman historians of the IV century. - M .: Rosspan, 1997. - p. 179-224. - ISBN 5-86004-072-5 .
2. Lucius Anney Flor . Epitomes // Small Roman Historians. - M .: Ladomir, 1996 .-- 99-190 p. - ISBN 5-86218-125-3 .
3. Valery Maxim . Memorable deeds and sayings. - SPb. : Publishing House of St. Petersburg State University, 2007. - 308 p. - ISBN 978-5-288-04267-6 .
4. Valery Maxim. Memorable deeds and sayings. - SPb. , 1772. - T. 2. - 520 s.
5. Guy Valley Patculus . Roman History // Small Roman Historians. - M .: Ladomir, 1996 .-- S. 11-98. - ISBN 5-86218-125-3 .
6. Pavel Orozy . The story against the pagans. - SPb. : Publisher Oleg Abyshko, 2004. - 544 p. - ISBN 5-7435-0214-5 .
7. Pliny the Elder . Natural History (Neopr.) . Date of treatment November 14, 2016.
8. Plutarch . Sayings of kings and commanders // Table talks. - L .: Nauka, 1990 .-- S. 340-388. - ISBN 5-02-027967-6 .
9. Plutarch . Comparative biographies. - M .: Science, 1994. - T. 3. - 672 p. - ISBN 5-306-00240-4 .
10. Strabo Geography. - M .: Ladomir, 1994 .-- 944 p.
11. Mark Tullius Cicero . About the limits of good and evil // About the limits of good and evil. Paradoxes of the Stoics. - M .: Publishing House of the Russian State Humanitarian University, 2000. - P. 41-242. - ISBN 5-7281-0387-1 .

Literature

1. Bedian E. Tsepion and Norban (notes on the decade of 100-90 BC) // Studia Historica. - 2010. - No. X. - S. 162-207 .
2. Korolenkov A. Mari, Zinn and Metella // Bulletin of Ancient History. - 2013. - No. 4 . - S. 113—122 .
3. Broughton R. Magistrates of the Roman Republic. - New York, 1951. - Vol. I. - P. 600.
4. Münzer F. Caecilius 82 // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1897. - Bd. III, 1. - Kol. 1207-1208.
5. Münzer F. Caecilius 95 // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1897. - Bd. III, 1. - Kol. 1216.
6. Münzer F. Caecilius 135 // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1897. - Bd. III, 1. - Kol. 1235.
7. Wiseman T. Legendary Genealogies in Late-Republican Rome // G&R. - 1974. - No. 2 . - S. 153-164 .

• Quintus Cecilius Metellus Balearic (Russian) . - biography on the site ancientrome.ru .

• Quintus Cecilius Metellus Balearic . - in Smith 's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.