Lewis & Short

Mĕtellus, a [etym. dub.; metellus = μισθιος, hired, i. e. a hired servant, Gloss. Philox.: metelli dicuntur in re militari quasi mercenarii, Attius in Annalibus: calones famulique metellique caculaeque; a quo genere hominum Caeciliae familiae cognomen putatur ductum, Paul. ex Fest. p. 146 and 147 Müll.], the name of a Roman family in the gens Caecilia; its most famous members were:

    1. 1. Q. Metellus Macedonicus, who made Macedonia a Roman province, and was renowned for his good-fortune, Vell. 1, 11, 1; Cic. Tusc. 1, 35, 85; id. ib. 1, 36, 86, etc.
    2. 2. Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus, who defeated Jugurtha in Numidia, Sall. J. 43 sqq.; Cic. Brut. 35, 135.
    3. 3. L. Caecilius Metellus, who saved the palladium from the burning temple of Vesta, B. C. 241, Liv. Epit. 19; Flor. 2, 2, 27; Cic. Rep. 1, 1, 1; Juv. 6, 265; cf. id. 3, 137 sq.
    4. 4. C. Caecilius Metellus Celer, Cicero’s contemporary, and husband of Coelia, Cic. Att. 2, 1, 5, etc.
    5. 5. Qu. Caecilius Metellus Pius (Scipio), son of Scipio Nasica, and Pompey’s fatherin-law, Vell. 2, 15, 5.
    6. 6. Caecilia Metella, wife of P. Cornelius Lentulus Spinther, divorced A. U. C. 709, Hor. S. 2, 3, 239; Cic. Att. 11, 23, 3; 13, 7, 1.
    7. 7. Caecilia Metella, wife of M. Aemilius Scaurus, Cic. Sest. 47, 101.