Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus
- 1Leader of the Optimates faction in the Roman Senate.
- 2Served as consul in 109 BC.
- 3Commanded Roman forces in the Jugurthine War.
- 4Received the agnomen Numidicus after a triumph.
- 5Known for his reputation for integrity in a corrupt political era.
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus was an ancient Roman statesman and general.
Connections1
political rival who represented the conservative senatorial establishme...
Metellus was Marius's former commander in the Jugurthine War whose opposition to Marius's populist rise fueled the factional tensions of the era.
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus was a prominent Roman statesman and a leading figure of the Optimates, the conservative faction within the Roman Senate. Throughout his career, he was a staunch political rival of Gaius Marius, representing the traditionalist establishment during a period of significant political upheaval.
Elected consul in 109 BC, he took command of Roman forces in Africa during the Jugurthine War. Although he was later displaced from his command by Marius in 107 BC, he was awarded a triumph and the honorary agnomen Numidicus upon his return. Despite the growing corruption in Roman politics, he maintained a reputation for personal integrity, eventually serving as a censor before entering into exile due to his opposition to Marius.