A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

LEPIDUS. LEPIDUS. 767
making war'upon one another, to lay down their besieged by Antony. The senate espoused the
arms, he assumed the title of imperator, though side of Brutus, and were now exceedingly anxious
he had not struck a blow. On his return to Rome to induce Lepidus to join them, as he had a powerB. C. 47, Caesar gratified his vanity with a triumph, ful army on the other side of the Alps, and could
though the only trophies he could display, says easily crush Antony if he pleased. Under the
Dion Cassius (xliii. 1), was the money of which pretence, therefore, of showing him additional
he had robbed the province. In the course of the marks of honour on account of his inducing Pompey
same year Caesar made him his magister equitum, to lay down his arms, the senate, on the proposition
and in the next year, B. C. 46, his colleague in the of Cicero, voted an.equestrian statue of Lepidus,
consulship. He was likewise nominated magister and conferred upon him the title of imperator.
equitum by Caesar for the second and third times in Lepidus, however, hesitated what part to take, and
B. c. 45 and 44. seems to have been anxious to wait the result of
In B. c. 44 Lepidus received from Caesar the the contest between Antony and the senate, before
government of Narbonese Gaul and Nearer Spain, committing himself irrevocably to either party.
but had not quitted the neighbourhood of Rome at He did not even thank the senate for their decree
the time of the dictator's death. He was then in his honour; and when they requested him to
collecting troops for his provinces, and the con- march into Italy and assist the consuls Hirtius and
spirators had therefore proposed to murder him as Pansa, in raising the siege of Mutina, he only sent a
well as Antony with the dictator; but this project detachment of his troops across the Alps under the
was overruled. On the evening before the fatal command of M. Silvanus, and to him he gave such
15th of March Caesar had supped with Lepidus doubtful orders that Silvanus thought it would be
(Appian, B. C. ii. 115), and he was present on the more pleasing to his general that his soldiers should
following day in the curia of Pompey, in the fight for rather than against Antony, and accordCampus Martius, and saw Caesar fall by the ingly joined the latter. Meantime, Lepidus incurred
daggers of his assassins.. (Plut. Caes. 67; the state- the displeasure of Cicero and the aristocracy, by
ment of Appian, B.C. ii. 118, and Dion Cassius xliv. writing to the senate to recommend peace. Shortly
22, that Lepidus was not present, is less probable). afterwards, in the latter half of the month of April,
Lepidus hastily stole away from the senate house the battles were fought in the neighbourhood of
with the other friends of Caesar, and after con- Mutina, which compelled Antony to raise the siege
cealing himself for a few hours, repaired to his and take to flight. He crossed the Alps with the
troops, the possession of which in the neighbourhood remains of his troops, and proceeded straight to
of Rome, seemed almost to place the supreme Lepidus, who finding it impossible to maintain a
power in his hands. Accordingly, in the night of neutral position any longer, united his army to that
the 15th of March, he took possession of the of Antony on the 28th of May. -The senate,
forum with his soldiers, and on the following morn- therefore, on the 30th of June, proclaimed Lepidus
ing addressed the people to exasperate them against a public enemy, and ordered his statue to be thrown
the murderers of the dictator. Antony, however, down. The young Octavian still continued to act
dissuaded him from resorting to violence, and in nominally with the senate; but with his usual
the negotiations which followed with the aristocracy penetration he soon saw that the senate would he
Lepidus adopted all the views of the former. He unable to resist the strong force that was collecting
was, therefore, a party to the hollow reconciliation on the other'side of the Alps, and therefore resolved
which took place between the aristocracy and to desert the falling side. For besides their own
Caesar's friends. In return for the support which troops Lepidus and Antony were now joined by
Antony had received from Lepidus, he allowed Asinius Pollio, the governor of Further Spain, and
the latter to be chosen pontifex maximus, which by L. Munatius Plancus, the governor of Further
dignity had become vacant by Caesar's death; Gaul, and were preparing to cross the Alps with
and, to cement their union still more closely, a most formidable arIny. In August Octavian
Antony betrothed his daughter to the son of compelled the senate to allow him to be elected
Lepidus. As Antony had no further occasion for consul, and likewise to repeal the decrees that had
Lepidus in Rome, he now repaired to his provinces been made against Lepidus and Antony; and
of Gaul and Spain, with the special object of towards the latter end of October he had the
effecting a reconciliation between Sex. Pompey and celebrated interview at Bononia, between Lepidus
the new rulers at Rome. This was proposed at and Antony, which resulted in the formation of
Antony's suggestion, who was anxious to with- the triumvirate. [AUGUsTus, p. 425, b.] In the
draw Pompey from Spain and induce him to come division of the provinces among the triumvirs,
to Rome, that he might thus have deprived the Lepidus obtained Spain and Narbonese Gaul, which
senate of a considerable part of their forces, in case he was to govern by means of a deputy, in order
of the civil war breaking out again. The senate that he might remain in Italy next year as consul,
did not see through Antony's design; Lepidus while the two other triumvirs prosecuted the war
succeeded in his mission, and accordingly received against Brutus and Cassius. Of his large army he
marks of honour from both parties; the senate on was only tc retain three legions for the protection of
the 28th of November, on the propositionof Antony, Italy; the remaining seven were divided between
voted him a supplicatio. Octavian and Antony. Thus Lepidus was to play
Shortly afterwards an open rupture occurred only a secondary part in the impending struggle
between Antony and the senate. Antony had between the triumvirs and the senate; and with
obtained from the people the province of Cisalpine this he seems to have been contented, for he never
Gaul, which D. Brutus then held, and which he displayed any love of enterprise. In the prorefused to surrender to him [BRUTUS, No. 17]. scription-lists which were published on the return
Antony accordingly marched against him, and as of the triumvirs to Rome, Lepidus placed the name
the latter was unable to resist him in the field, he of his own brother Paullus, as has been already
threw himself into Mutina, which was forthwith related. [See above, p. 766, a.] Shortly afterwards;