Role in Verres' Trial
In Cicero's speech Against Verres, delivered in late 70 BC, Cicero, the attorney prosecuting on behalf of the province of Sicily, denounces Verres, the defendant on trial, in the extortion court. Verres was the governor of Sicily from 73-71 BC, and the Sicilians charged him with being morally corrupt and flagrant with bribery as well as having stolen 40 million sesterces worth of money and items from Sicily. They also charged him with having killed Roman citizens without trial, something forbidden by Roman law. Creticus and Quintus Hortensius Hortalus were to be the two consuls in the coming year. They were both friends with Verres, and they supported him; Hortalus was his defense lawyer. Marcus Caecilius Metellus, one of Creticus' brothers, was to be president of the extortion court in the coming year. The defense planned to put the trial off until the coming year, when Quintus Caecilius Metellus, Quintus Hortensius Hortalus, and Marcus Caecilius Metellus would be able to influence the court's decision. Quintus Caecilius Metellus sent for the Sicilians and told them that Verres would come to no harm due to the power invested in himself, his family, and other supporters of Verres in the coming year. Because of this, Cicero reviles Quintus Caecilius Metellus as corrupt to the point that he would "throw duty and dignity to the winds" without even having a real connection to Verres. Cicero goes on to suggest twice that Quintus Caecilius Metellus won his office due to Verres' bribery rather than his own merit, and tries to turn Quintus Caecilius Metellus against Verres by stating that Verres proclaimed it to be so.
In a later speech, Post Reditum in Senatu ('in the senate after his return'), Cicero, having been exiled for executing Roman citizens without a trial during the Catilinarian Conspiracy, returns to Rome. He is aided in this by the consul, Quintus Caecilius Metellus Celer, a relative of Creticus. Cicero praises Celer for being truly noble and naturally excellent in disposition, although he claims them to be enemies. Cicero goes on to praise the Metelli as a group for being exemplary citizens.
Read more about this topic: Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus
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