When Caecilius Metellvs was desirous of leading his men against a strongly fortified place, a centurion said that with the loss of only ten men Metellvs could take the place. Metellus asked him if he wished to be one of the ten !

A certain centurion among the younger men inquired what he was going to do. If I thought, said he, that the shirt on my back knew what is in my mind, I would strip it off and put it in the fire. Cf. , 506 D; Valerius Maximus, vii. 4. 5. Frontinus, , i. 1. 12, attributes the remark to Metellus Pius (consul 52 B.C. with Pompey.)

He was bitterly opposed to Scipio while Scipio lived, Cicero, , 21 (77), and , i. 25 (87). but felt very sad when he died, and commanded his sons to take part in carrying the bier. He said that he felt grateful to the gods, for Rome’s sake, that Scipio had not been born among another people. Cf. Pliny, , vii. 45 (144), and Valerius Maximus, iv. 1. 12.