There had been a Macedonicus, a Numidicus, a Balearicus, and a Creticus.

It is of the first that Velleius Paterculus sings the glory--lib.

i., ca.xi., and the elder Pliny repeats the story, Hist.Nat., vii., 44--that of his having been carried to the grave by four sons, of whom at the time of his death three had been Consuls, one had been a Praetor, two had enjoyed triumphal honors, and one had been Censor.

In looking through the consular list of Cicero's lifetime, I find that there were no less than seven taken from the family of the Metelli.
These two brothers, Metellus Nepos and Celer, again became friends to Cicero; Nepos, who had stopped his speech and assisted in forcing him into exile, having assisted as Consul in obtaining his recall from exile.
It is very difficult to follow the twistings and turnings of Roman friendships at this period.
[217] Velleius Paterculus, lib.ii., ca.xiv.

Paterculus tells us how, when the architect offered to build the house so as to hide its interior from the gaze of the world, Drusus desired the man so to construct it that all the world might see what he was doing.
[218] It may be worth while to give a translation of the anecdote as told by Aulus Gellius, and to point out that the authors intention was to show what a clever fellow Cicero was.