Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (120-77 BC)
Encyclopedia
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (120 BC – 77 BC) was a Roman
statesman. He was the father of the triumvir
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus
and of the consul of 50 BC Lucius Aemilius Lepidus Paullus.
, but once the dictator
had resigned in 79 BC, Lepidus attempted to undermine the Sullan constitution. He was elected consul
for the year 78 BC with the support of Pompey
, and tried to stop Sulla from being buried in the Campus Martius
. However, Pompey turned against his candidate and used his influence to ensure that the full funeral and burial went ahead.
Lepidus passed several resolutions during his term that firmly placed him in the camp of the populares
. He offered to restore land that had been taken by Sulla to the Italians. This put him at odds with his fellow consul, Quintus Lutatius Catulus
. The two factions came so close to war that the senate
made them swear not to fight, and sent Lepidus to administer the province of Transalpine Gaul. The terms of their oath did not prevent Lepidus from returning the next year with an army, so he agreed to it. Before he left, he offered those Sulla had sent into exile a chance to return, a move which alarmed the Senate. They correctly judged that he was attempting to gather his allies around him to start a civil war. Lepidus was recalled from his province, but brought his army with him back to Rome, where he was defeated by Catulus in a pitched battle on the Campus Martius. Forced into exile in Sardinia
, he died soon afterwards.
His fellow rebel, Marcus Junius Brutus the Elder
, the father of Caesar's famous murderer of the same name
, remained at Mutina, in Gaul
. Pompey marched to destroy him, but Brutus surrendered before a battle had to be fought. Brutus was soon killed by one of Pompey's men, named Geminius.
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
statesman. He was the father of the triumvir
Second Triumvirate
The Second Triumvirate is the name historians give to the official political alliance of Octavius , Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, and Mark Antony, formed on 26 November 43 BC with the enactment of the Lex Titia, the adoption of which marked the end of the Roman Republic...
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (triumvir)
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus , was a Roman patrician who rose to become a member of the Second Triumvirate and Pontifex Maximus. His father, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, had been involved in a rebellion against the Roman Republic.Lepidus was among Julius Caesar's greatest supporters...
and of the consul of 50 BC Lucius Aemilius Lepidus Paullus.
Biography
Lepidus gained wealth and power by politically allying himself with Lucius Cornelius SullaLucius Cornelius Sulla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix , known commonly as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He had the rare distinction of holding the office of consul twice, as well as that of dictator...
, but once the dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
had resigned in 79 BC, Lepidus attempted to undermine the Sullan constitution. He was elected consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
for the year 78 BC with the support of Pompey
Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
, and tried to stop Sulla from being buried in the Campus Martius
Campus Martius
The Campus Martius , was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome...
. However, Pompey turned against his candidate and used his influence to ensure that the full funeral and burial went ahead.
Lepidus passed several resolutions during his term that firmly placed him in the camp of the populares
Populares
Populares were aristocratic leaders in the late Roman Republic who relied on the people's assemblies and tribunate to acquire political power. They are regarded in modern scholarship as in opposition to the optimates, who are identified with the conservative interests of a senatorial elite...
. He offered to restore land that had been taken by Sulla to the Italians. This put him at odds with his fellow consul, Quintus Lutatius Catulus
Quintus Lutatius Catulus (Capitolinus)
Quintus Lutatius Catulus , sometimes called "Capitolinus", was a politician in the late Roman Republic. His father was the like-named Quintus Lutatius Catulus , also a politician.-Biography:...
. The two factions came so close to war that the senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
made them swear not to fight, and sent Lepidus to administer the province of Transalpine Gaul. The terms of their oath did not prevent Lepidus from returning the next year with an army, so he agreed to it. Before he left, he offered those Sulla had sent into exile a chance to return, a move which alarmed the Senate. They correctly judged that he was attempting to gather his allies around him to start a civil war. Lepidus was recalled from his province, but brought his army with him back to Rome, where he was defeated by Catulus in a pitched battle on the Campus Martius. Forced into exile in Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, he died soon afterwards.
His fellow rebel, Marcus Junius Brutus the Elder
Marcus Junius Brutus the Elder
Marcus Junius Brutus, sometimes referred to by modern historians as Marcus Junius Brutus the Elder to distinguish him from his more famous son, was a tribune of the Roman Republic in 83 BC and the founder of the colony in Capua. He was the first husband to Servilia Caepionis, the elder half-sister...
, the father of Caesar's famous murderer of the same name
Marcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus , often referred to as Brutus, was a politician of the late Roman Republic. After being adopted by his uncle he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, but eventually returned to using his original name...
, remained at Mutina, in Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
. Pompey marched to destroy him, but Brutus surrendered before a battle had to be fought. Brutus was soon killed by one of Pompey's men, named Geminius.
See also
- TabulariumTabulariumThe Tabularium was the official records office of ancient Rome, and also housed the offices of many city officials. Situated within the Roman Forum, it was on the front slope of the Capitoline Hill, below the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, to the southeast of the Arx and Tarpeian Rock.Within...
, built by Lepidus and Catulus in 78 BC