the couple had one son, a metellus scipio who seems to have died when he was only 18. another son may have been born around 70, or a son may have been adopted. the couple's much more famous daughter was born around that time as well. scipio first married off the celebrated cornelia metella to publius crassus, the son of marcus licinius crassus. after publius's premature death at carrhae, scipio decided to succeed caesar as the father-in-law of pompeius, who was at least thirty years older than cornelia. the marriage is one of the acts by which pompeius severed his alliance to caesar and declared himself the champion of the optimates. he and scipio were consuls together in 52.