Caecilia gens

This article is about a Roman family. For the order of limbless amphibians, seeCaeciliaandCaecilian.

Lucius Caecilius Jucundus,a Pompeian banker.

Thegens Caeciliawas aplebeianfamily atancient Rome.Members of thisgensare mentioned in history as early as the fifth century BC, but the first of the Caecilii who obtained theconsulshipwasLucius Caecilius Metellus Denter,in 284 BC.The Caecilii Metelli were one of the most powerful families of the lateRepublic,from the decades before theFirst Punic Wardown to the time ofAugustus.

Origin

Like other Roman families in the later times of theRepublic,the Caecilii traced their origin to a mythical personage,Caeculus,the founder ofPraeneste.He was said to be the son ofVulcan,and engendered by a spark; a similar story was told ofServius Tullius.He was exposed as an infant, but preserved by his divine father, and raised by maidens. He grew up amongst the shepherds, and became a highwayman. Coming of age, he called upon the people of the countryside to build a new town, convincing them with the aid of a miracle. An alternative tradition claimed that the Caecilii were descended from Caecas, one of the companions ofAeneas,who came with him to Italy after thesack of Troy.

Praenomina

Thepraenominaused by the Caecilii during the Republic areLucius,Quintus,Gaius,andMarcus.Titusappears only towards the very end of the Republic, and is not known to have been used by the great house of the Caecilii Metelli.

Branches and cognomina

Thecognominaof this gens under the Republic areBassus,Denter, Cornutus,Metellus,Niger,andRufus,of which the Metelli are the best known. From the consulship of Lucius Caecilius Metellus Denter, the family of the Metelli became one of the most distinguished at Rome. In the latter half of the second century BC, it obtained an extraordinary number of the highest offices of the state. Quintus Metellus, who was consul in 143 BC, had four sons, who were raised to the consulship in succession; and his brother, Lucius Metellus, who was consul in 142, had two sons, who were likewise elevated to the same dignity.

The Metelli were distinguished as a family for their unwavering support of the party of theOptimates.The etymology of their name is quite uncertain.Festusconnects it, probably from mere similarity of sound, withmercenarii.The history of the family is very difficult to trace, and in many parts conjectural. It is treated at length by Drumann.

The victory of the consulL. Caecilius MetellusagainstHasdrubal'selephantsatPanormusin 251 seems to have left a durable impression on the Caecili Metelli, as many of them featured an elephant on the coins they minted. In fact, elephants are so often used on their coins that it might have become their emblem.

Members

This list includes abbreviatedpraenomina.For an explanation of this practice, seefiliation.

Caecilii Metelli

DenariusofQuintus Caecilius Metellus Pius,81 BC. The obverse depicts a head ofPietas,alluding to the agnomen,Pius.The elephant on the reverse commemorates the capture of Carthaginian elephants byLucius Caecilius MetellusatPanormusin 251 BC.

DenariusofQuintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio,c. 46 BC.The obverse depicts the head ofJupiter.The elephant on the reverse may also allude to Africa, since the coin was minted there before theBattle of Thapsus.

Further information:Caecilii Metelli family tree

• Gaius Caecilius (Metellus), grandfather of Lucius Caecilius Metellus, the consul of 251 BC, and perhaps the father of Lucius Caecilius Metellus Denter, consul in 284.
• Lucius Caecilius (C. f.) Metellus Denter,consulin 284 andpraetorin 283 BC, slain in battle against theSenones.
• Lucius Caecilius L. f. C. n. Metellus,consul in 251 and 247 BC, during theFirst Punic War,and afterwardPontifex Maximus.
• Lucius Caecilius L. f. L. n. Metellus,quaestorin 214 BC, was degraded to anaerariusby thecensorsfor proposing to abandon Italy and establish a new colony after theBattle of Cannae.Nevertheless, he was electedtribune of the plebsfor 213, and prosecuted the censors.
• Quintus Caecilius L. f. L. n. Metellus,consul in 206 BC, during theSecond Punic War.
• Marcus Caecilius L. f. L. n. Metellus,praetorurbanusin 206 BC.
• Quintus Caecilius Q. f. L. n. Metellus,surnamedMacedonicus,triumphedoverAndriscus,and became consul in 143 BC, and censor in 131.
• Lucius Caecilius Q. f. L. n. Metellus,surnamedCalvus,consul in 142 BC.
• Quintus Caecilius Q. f. Q. n. Metellus,consul in 123 and censor in 120 BC, conquered theBalearic Islands,receiving the surnameBalearicus,and founded several cities there.
• Lucius Caecilius L. f. Q. n. Metellus,surnamedDelmaticus,consul in 119, triumphed over theDalmati,and later became Pontifex Maximus.
• Lucius Caecilius Q. f. Q. n. Metellus,surnamedDiadematus,consul in 117 BC and censor in 115 BC.
• Marcus Caecilius Q. f. Q. n. Metellus,consul in 115 BC, triumphed over theSardinians.
• Gaius Caecilius Q. f. Q. n. Metellus,surnamedCaprarius,consul in 113 and censor on 102 BC, triumphed over theThracians.
• Caecilia Q. f. Q. n. Metella, marriedGaius Servilius Vatia.
• Caecilia Q. f. Q. n. Metella, marriedPublius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Serapio.
• Quintus Caecilius L. f. Q. n. Metellus,surnamedNumidicus,consul in 109 and censor in 102 BC, triumphed overJugurtha;expelled from the senate and exiled byLucius Appuleius Saturninus,and not recalled for two years.
• Caecilia L. f. Q. n. Metella, wife ofLucius Licinius Lucullus,and mother of the youngerLucullus,the conqueror ofMithridates;she had a reputation for dissoluteness.
• Quintus Caecilius Q. f. Q. n. Metellus,surnamedNepos,consul in 98 BC.
• Quintus Caecilius (L.? f.) Q. n. Metellus,surnamedCeler,a mediocre orator, probablytribune of the plebsin 90 BC and perhapsaedilein 88.
• Caecilia Q. f. Q. n. Metella,marriedAppius Claudius Pulcher,consul in 79 BC.
• Caecilia L. f. L. n. Metella,married firstMarcus Aemilius Scaurus,consul in 115 BC, and secondLucius Cornelius Sulla,the dictator.
• Quintus Caecilius Q. f. L. n. Metellus,surnamedPius,one ofSulla's most successful generals, consul in 80 BC, and later Pontifex Maximus.
• Gaius Caecilius Metellus,a junior senatorcirca80 BC.
• Quintus Caecilius Metellus,surnamedCreticus,consul in 69 BC, triumphed over theCretans.
• Lucius Caecilius Metellus,consul in 68 BC, died at the beginning of his year of office.
• Marcus Caecilius Metellus, praetor in 69 BC.
• Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus, perhaps quaestorcirca60 BC, withGaius Trebonius.
• Quintus Caecilius Q. f. (L.? n.) Metellus Celer,consul in 60 BC.
• Marcus Caecilius (M. f.) Metellus, mentioned byCiceroin 60 BC.
• Caecilia Q. f. Q. n. Metella,daughter of Metellus Celer.
• Quintus Caecilius Q. f. Q. n. Metellus Nepos,consul in 57 BC.
• Quintus Caecilius Q. f. Q. n. Metellus Pius Scipio,the son ofPublius Cornelius Scipio Nasica,adopted by Metellus Pius; appointed consulsuffectusfrom the kalends ofSextilisin 52 BC, and a partisan ofPompeius.
• Lucius Caecilius (L. f.) Metellus, tribune of the plebs in 49 BC, opposedCaesar's attempt to take possession of the sacred treasury.
• Quintus Caecilius (Q. f. Q. n.) Metellus Creticus Silanus,consul in AD 7.

Caecilii Dentri

Denarius ofGaius Caecilius Metellus Caprarius,125 BC. The reverse depicts the triumph of his ancestorLucius Caecilius Metellus,with the elephants he had captured at theBattle of Panormus.

• Lucius Caecilius Denter, praetor in 182 BC, obtainedSiciliafor his province.
• Marcus Caecilius Denter, one of the ambassadors sent toPerseusin 173 BC to inspect the affairs ofMacedonia,and toAlexandriato renew the friendship withPtolemaeus.

Caecilii Cornuti

• Marcus Caecilius Cornutus, praetor before 90 BC, then legate in 89 and 88 during theMarsic War.He escaped the purges ofMariusin 87 through a ruse of his slaves, who passed him off for dead, before spiriting him off to Gaul.
• Gaius Caecilius Cornutus,tribune of the plebs in 61 BC, praetor in 57, andpromagistratethe following year inBithynia and Pontus.He helpedCiceroto return from exile during his praetorship, who affectionately called him a "quasi-Cato"for his Optimate ideas. He was probably the historian Cornutus, known from only three fragments, which deal with theCivil WarbetweenCaesarandPompey.
• Marcus Caecilius Cornutus, praetorurbanusin 43 BC, committed suicide whenOctavianseized Rome after theBattle of Mutina.
• Marcus Caecilius M. f. Cornutus, a member of theCollege of Arvalesin 21–20 BC, but perhaps as early as 29, when Augustus re-established the college.
• Marcus Caecilius M. f. M. n. Cornutus, succeeded his father as Arval. He was ofpraetorianrank in the reign ofTiberiusbut, unjustly accused in connection with a plot against the Emperor, put an end to his own life in AD 24.

Others

• Gaia Caecilia, the legendary personification of Roman domesticity, frequently equated withTanaquil,the wife ofTarquinius Priscus,the fifth King of Rome.
• Quintus Caecilius,tribune of the plebsin 439 BC.
• Statius Caecilius,a comic poet of the early 2nd century BC.
• Quintus Caecilius Niger, a Sicilian, and quaestor ofVerresduring his administration of Sicily. He contended with Cicero for the prosecution of Verres, pretending to be the enemy of his former master, but in reality desiring to deprive the Sicilians of Cicero's advocacy. Cicero's orationDivinatio in Caeciliumwas delivered against this Caecilius when thejudiceshad to decide which should be given the prosecution.
• Lucius Caecilius Rufus,half-brother ofPublius Cornelius Sulla,was tribune of the plebs in 63 BC, and proposed that both Sulla andPublius Autronius Paetus,who had been elected consuls for 66, but been convicted of bribery and condemned, should again be allowed to stand for office; however, Sulla convinced him to withdraw the proposal. Rufus was a supporter of Cicero and the aristocratic party, and opposed agrarian reform. He was praetor in 57, and proposed the recall of Cicero from banishment, incurring the wrath ofPublius Clodius Pulcher.
• Quintus Caecilius,aneques,slain by his brother-in-law,Catiline,in the time of Sulla.
• Quintus Caecilius,aneques,who became wealthy as a moneylender, died in 57 BC, leaving his fortune to his nephew,Titus Pomponius Atticus.
• Quintus Caecilius Bassus,aneques,and partisan ofPompeius,was praetor in 46 BC.
• Titus Caecilius,primus pilusin the army ofLucius Afranius,killed at theBattle of Ilerdain 49 BC.
• Caecilia, wife of the youngerPublius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther,who divorced her in 45 BC.
• (Caecilius)Bucilianus,a friend ofBrutusandCassius,was, together with his brother, Caecilius, recruited to the conspiracy againstCaesar.On the fateful day, Bucilianus wounded Caesar in the back. He was probably a Bucilius adopted by a Caecilius.
• Caecilius, one of the conspirators against Caesar, along with his brother, Bucilianus.
• Caecilia,the daughter of Titus Pomponius Atticus, marriedMarcus Vipsanius Agrippa.
• Quintus Caecilius Epirota,a grammarian, andfreedmanof Titus Pomponius Atticus.
• Titus Caecilius Eutychides, a freedman of Titus Pomponius Atticus, afterwards adopted by Quintus Caecilius.
• Caecilius Calactinus,a Jewish Greek rhetorician at Rome in the time ofAugustus.
• Caecilius Bion, a writer on the properties of medicinal plants, used byPliny the Elder.
• Lucius Caecilius Jucundus,a banker atPompeiiduring the first century AD, selected as the fictionalized subject of theCambridge Latin Course.
• Quintus Caecilius L. f. Jucundus,elder son of the Pompeiian banker.
• Sextus Caecilius L. f. Jucundus Metellus, younger son of the Pompeiian banker.
• Caecilius of Elvira,or Saint Caecilius, traditional founder of theArchdiocese of GranadacircaAD 64.
• Gnaeus Caecilius Simplex,appointed consulsuffectus Ex Kal. Nov.by the emperorVitelliusin AD 69.
• Caecilius Rufinus, expelled from thesenatebyDomitianbecause he danced.
• Caecilius Clemens, a notary in Egypt mentioned between AD 86 and 100 in four papyri, notablyPapyrus Oxyrhynchus 241and581.
• Caecilius Classicus, proconsul ofHispania Baeticafrom AD 97 to 98, was prosecuted for corruption, but died before he could be tried.
• Aulus Caecilius Faustinus,consulsuffectusin AD 99.
• Gaius Caecilius, grandfather of the writer and statesman "Pliny the Younger".
• Lucius Caecilius Cilo, father of the writer and statesman "Pliny the Younger".
• Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus,or "Pliny the Younger", a writer and statesman during the late first and early second century. He was a member of gens Caecilia from birth, but was adopted by his maternal uncle, the scholarGaius Plinius Secundus,or "Pliny the Elder", and changed his name accordingly.
• Quintus Caecilius Redditus,aneques,was governor ofMauretania Tingitanafrom AD 120 to 122, and later ofNoricum.
• Quintus Caecilius Marcellus Dentilianus,consulsuffectusaround AD 150.
• Caecilius Juventianus, governor of Noricum during the reign of Antoninus Pius.
• Gaius Caecilius Salvianus, vice prefect ofRoman Egypt,who became governor in 176 following the execution of the rebelGaius Calvisius Statianus.
• Sextus Caecilius,a jurist, who may or may not be identical with Sextus Caecilius Africanus.
• Sextus Caecilius Africanus,a jurist during the latter half of the second century
• Caecilius, a writer of Argos on the art of fishing.
• Caecilia, orSaint Cecilia,a semi-legendary matron of Rome, and Christian martyr underAlexander Severus,circaAD 230. Modern historians suspect that she was executed during the reign ofMarcus Aurelius.
• Caecilia Paulina,Roman empress during theCrisis of the Third Century.She was the wife ofMaximinus Thrax,and mother ofGaius Julius Verus Maximus.She probably died in 236, as Maximinus had her deified that year. Almost nothing is known about her, as most of the works dealing with the reign of Maximinus have been lost.
• Caecilius Natalis, the person who maintains the cause of paganism in the dialogue ofMarcus Minucius Felix,entitledOctavius.
• Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus,a Christian philosopher, who became Bishop ofCarthage,was martyred, and sanctified as Saint Cyprian.
• Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius,a Christian author and advisor to EmperorConstantine the Great.

See also

• List of Roman gentes
• Cecilia
• Cecilia (disambiguation)

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