Lepidus
The overlooked triumvir: Caesar's ally, pontifex maximus, and a key figure in the fall of the Republic.
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Born around 89 BC and dying in late 13 or early 12 BC, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus was a Roman general and statesman who, alongside Octavian and Mark Antony, established the Second Triumvirate in the final years of the Roman Republic.[1] According to one source, Lepidus was not simply an inactive third member of the ruling group.[2]
Quick Facts
- Born
- c. 89 BC
- Died
- late 13 BC or early 12 BC (aged c. 76)
- Place of death
- Circeii, Roman Empire
- Father
- Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (consul 78 BC)
- Spouse
- Junia Secunda
- Children
- Marcus Aemilius Lepidus Minor
- Quintus Aemilius Lepidus
- Aemilia Lepida (possibly)
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
He was praetor in 49 BC and supported Julius Caesar at the outbreak of civil war.[2] Lepidus celebrated a triumph and held the consulship with Caesar in 46 BC.[2] Caesar made Lepidus magister equitum, effectively his deputy, and had greater confidence in him than in Mark Antony to keep order in Rome.[3] After Caesar's death, Lepidus moved troops to the Campus Martius to maintain order.[4]
In 43 BC Lepidus joined Octavian and Mark Antony in the Second Triumvirate.[2] After the Perusine War, Lepidus governed Africa and commanded several legions.[2] As a child, Lepidus became a member of the College of Pontiffs, and his political career began with the office of triumvir monetalis, which he held from approximately 62 to 58 BC.[5] On the night before his assassination, Caesar had dinner at Lepidus's home.[6]
What the cited sources add
Dio also stated that Lepidus did not resort to revolutionary measures partly because he feared Caesar and partly because he lacked resolution.[7] According to Dio, when Lucius marched against Rome, Lepidus offered no resistance by reason of his inherent slothfulness.[7] The x-legio account states that Lepidus was praetor in 49 BCE and supported Julius Caesar at the outbreak of civil war.[2] That same source notes that Lepidus celebrated a triumph on returning to Rome and held the consulship with Caesar in 46 BCE.[2]
The x-legio account confirms that Lepidus was allowed to live and remained pontifex maximus until his death in 13 or 12 BCE.[2]
References
- Wikipedia, "Lepidus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Weigel, Lepidus: The Tarnished Triumvir pp. 9–10, 98 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- <nowiki>https://x-legio.com/en/wiki/marcus-aemilius-lepidus</nowiki>. facts only, no text reused. x-legio.com
- Wikipedia, "Lepidus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Holland, Rubicon, 346. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Lepidus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Weigel Lepidus: The Tarnished Triumvir p.43; John Hazel, Who's Who in the Roman World, Routledge, London, 2001, p.165. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Lepidus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Holland, Tom, Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic, Abacus, 2004, , 316. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Lepidus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Holland, Rubicon, 347. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Cassius Dio.48.4.1.. facts only, no text reused. penelope.uchicago.edu
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Lepidus (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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