Talk:Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius

Dates for Quaestorship and Tribunate?

I have updated this article, and although I have left the offices and dates for his Quaestorship and Tribunate from the original article, I have doubts about both. Although it is almost certain that Metellus Pius was Quaestor prior to becoming Praetor, I can find no source that indicates it occurred in 97 BC. Further, it then stated that he was "tribune" in 92 BC. This cannot be right; if it refers to his becoming a military tribune, this would not have happened after his quaestorship. And given his politics and family background, Metellus Pius would not have become a Plebeian tribune. Broughton is silent on this matter, so if anyone has a source which either rules these posts in or out, can they update this article? Thanks. Oatley2112 (talk) 11:00, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

Actually, the Caecilii Metelli were plebeians and thus eligible for the plebeian tribunate. The fact they belonged to the optimates did no barr them from the office. In fact, the optimates thougth it to be usefull to have such a tribune in their pockets, as to being able to veto the populares tribunes' actions. It's thus very possible he served as a tribune. -- fdewaele, 2 July 2012, 14:55.

I was assuming this was a mix-up with some other Caecilius Metellus, but looking at them all in the back of Broughton vol. 2, I don't see Caecilii Metelli as tribunes till the 60s, with one or two exceptions that are much earlier than 92. I think you should just take it out. Broughton vol. 3, with the addenda and corrections, does have an entry on this Caecilius Metellus, but nothing major: just that he was monetalis, that he was praetor 89 or 88, and further explanation of his getting expelled from his African proconsulship by Gaius Fabius Hadrianus. Cynwolfe (talk) 21:45, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for that. My own thoughts about Pius' supposed tribunate is that the son of the great Numidicus would not need to waste time by becoming Plebeian tribune, which was usually filled by men who needed to make a name for themselves, and the tribunate was the perfect vehicle for that. Metellus Pius' career path would surely have followed the traditional cursus honorum: Military tribune-Quaestor-Praetor. In any event, I will remove the entries for quaestor and tribune, and if someone finds a source which discusses these, they can be added back at a future date. Oatley2112 (talk) 23:18, 2 July 2012 (UTC)