| Sumario: | A careful reading of Cicero, Pro Plancio 86-90, in conjuction with the known facts of the exile of Metellus Numidicus and the remains of his exilic correspondence, suggest that an important element in his performance of exile was his insistance that his behaviour was devoted to the preservation of law and order in Roman society. Metellus went so far as to claim that that the slaying even of wicked citizens (read: Saturninus and his followers) by Gaius Marius was unacceptable, notwithstanding the very real threat posed by Saturninus. This argument helped to fashion Metellus as respectful of the right political order and aided his supporters in challenging the legitmacy of the position of the chief obstacle to Metellus' restoration to Rome.
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