Caecilia Metella (daughter of Balearicus)

Caecilia Metella (fl. 1st century BC) was a Roman matron of the first century BC, who belonged to the powerful family of the Caecilii Metelli. She was possibly the mother of Clodius.[1]

Personal life

Caecilia Metella was the daughter of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Balearicus, consul in 123 BC.[2][3]

She was possibly married to Appius Claudius Pulcher, a politician of an old, somewhat impoverished, patrician family. As a member of an important family and married into another, Metella would be one of Rome's most esteemed matronas. Pulcher had six known children; three sons, Appius, Gaius and the famous Publius, and three girls; one who married Lucullus, one who married Quintus Marcius Rex, and one (known as Clodia) who married Metellus Celer.[4]

Protector

During Sulla's proscriptions, Metella sheltered Sextus Roscius after his father's murder. Later, Roscius was defended by the young Cicero, helped by Metella's nephews Metellus Celer and Metellus Nepos, in the celebrated speech Pro Roscio Amerino.[2]

Temple of Juno

This woman has been identified with the one who in 90 BC had a dream of Juno Sospita complaining about the neglect of her temple.[5] Metella cleaned out the temple and was credited with saving the cult of Sospita.[6]

Cultural depictions

Author Colleen McCullough included Metella as a character in her novel Fortune's Favourites, a fictionalised account of the demise of Sulla and rise of Julius Caesar.[7] She describes Metella as "an ex-Vestal", a claim for which there is no historical evidence.

References

Tatum, Jeffrey (2014). The Patrician Tribune: Publius Clodius Pulcher. Studies in the History of Greece and Rome (reworked ed.). UNC Press Books. p. 249. ISBN 9781469620657. Clodius's mother, therefore, must remain ignota.
Treggiari, Susan (2019). Servilia and her Family. Oxford University Press. pp. 20, 221–222. ISBN 9780192564641. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
De Vit, Vincenzo (1868). Totius latinitatis lexicon, Volume 8 (in Latin). Typis Aldinianis. p. 12.
Schultz, Celia E. (2006). "9. Juno Sospita and Roman insecurity in the Social War". In Schultz, Celia E.; Harvey, Paul B. (eds.). Religion in Republican Italy. Cambridge University Press. pp. 207–208, 217. ISBN 9781139460675.
Richlin, Amy (2014). Arguments with Silence: Writing the History of Roman Women (new, illustrated ed.). University of Michigan Press. p. 226. ISBN 9780472035922.
Dennison, Matthew (2011). Livia, Empress of Rome: A Biography. St. Martin's Publishing Group. pp. 148–149. ISBN 9781429989190.
McCullough, Colleen (2013). Fortune's Favourites. Head of Zeus. ISBN 9781781857939. Retrieved 9 April 2019.

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[PTPCP-1] Tatum, Jeffrey (2014). The Patrician Tribune: Publius Clodius Pulcher. Studies in the History of Greece and Rome (reworked ed.). UNC Press Books. p. 249. ISBN 9781469620657. Clodius's mother, therefore, must remain ignota.

[Treggiari-2] Treggiari, Susan (2019). Servilia and her Family. Oxford University Press. pp. 20, 221–222. ISBN 9780192564641. Retrieved 28 March 2019.

[Vincenzo-3] De Vit, Vincenzo (1868). Totius latinitatis lexicon, Volume 8 (in Latin). Typis Aldinianis. p. 12.

[Schultz-4] Schultz, Celia E. (2006). "9. Juno Sospita and Roman insecurity in the Social War". In Schultz, Celia E.; Harvey, Paul B. (eds.). Religion in Republican Italy. Cambridge University Press. pp. 207–208, 217. ISBN 9781139460675.

[5] Richlin, Amy (2014). Arguments with Silence: Writing the History of Roman Women (new, illustrated ed.). University of Michigan Press. p. 226. ISBN 9780472035922.

[6] Dennison, Matthew (2011). Livia, Empress of Rome: A Biography. St. Martin's Publishing Group. pp. 148–149. ISBN 9781429989190.

[McCullough-7] McCullough, Colleen (2013). Fortune's Favourites. Head of Zeus. ISBN 9781781857939. Retrieved 9 April 2019.