Quoi Metellus petenti more regum ut sellam iuxta poneret, item postea custodiae causa turmam equitum Romanorum, utrumque negaverat; honorem, quod eorum more foret quos populus Romanus reges appellavisset, praesidium, quod contumeliosum in eos foret, si equites Romani satellites Numidae tradererentur.
When Gauda requested from Metellus to have the royal privilege of occupying an official chair beside him, followed by the request for a troop of Roman Knights to serve as a bodyguard, Metellus declined both appeals. He refused the honor because, by tradition, it was only for those who had been officially acknowledged as kings by the Romans, and he declined the guard since it would have been an offense to the Roman Knights if they were commanded to escort a Numidian.