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

768 LEPIDUS. LEPIDUS.
on the 31st of December, Lepidus celebrated a h'e was exposed, did not shorten his life, forhe
triumph as a consequence of the supplicatio which survived till B. c. 13. Augustus succeeded him
the senate had voted a year previously. as pontifex maximus.
In B. C. 42 Lepidus remained in Rome as consul; Lepidus was one of those men who have no deand in the fresh division of the provinces, made cided character, and who are incapable of commitbetween Octavian and Antony, after the battle of ting great crimes for the same reason that they are
Philippi at the close of this year, Lepidus was de- incapable of performing any noble acts. He posprived of his provinces, under the pretext of his sessed great wealth, and, like almost all his conhaving had treasonable intercourse with Sex. Pomr- temporaries, was little scrupulous about the means
pey; but it was arranged that, in case he should of acquiring it. Neither in war nor in peace did
be proved innocent of the crime laid to his charge, he exhibit any distinguished abilities; but that he
he should receive Africa as a compensation for the was not so contemptible a character, as he is drawn
provinces taken from him: so soon did Octavian by Drumann, seems pretty certain from the respect
and Antony make him feel that he was their sub- with which -he was always treated by that great
ject rather than their equal. The triumvirs were judge of men, Julius Caesar. It seems clear that
unable to prove anything against Lepidas, but it Lepidus was fond of ease and repose, and it is not
was not till after the Perusinian war in B. c. 40, improbable that he possessed abilities capable of
that Octavian allowed Lepidus to take possession effecting much more than he ever did.
of his province, and he probably would not have His wife was Junia, the sister of the M. Brutus
obtained it even then, had not Octavian been who killed Caesar. [JUNIA, No. 2.]
anxious to attach Lepidus to his interests, in case (The passages of Cicero referring to Lepidus are
of a rupturebetween himself and Antony. Lepidus given in Orelli, Onom. Tull. vol. ii. pp. 14, 15;
remained in Africa till B. C. 36. On the renewal Appian, B. C. lib. ii. iii. v.; Dion' Cass. lib. xliof the triumvirate in B. C. 37, for another five years, xlix.; Vell. Pat. ii. 64, 80; Flor. iv. 6, 7; Liv.
Lepidus had been included, though he had now Epit. 119, 120, 129; Suet. Octav. 16, 31; Sen. de
lost all real power. In the following year, B. C. 36, Clem. i. 10.)
Octavian summoned him to Sicily to assist him in
the war against Sex. Pompey. Lepidus obeyed, but
tired of being treated as a subordinate, he resolved
to make an effort to acquire Sicily for himself and f
regain his lost power. He left Africa on the 1st
of July, B. C. 36, and on his arrival in Sicily proceeded to act on his own account, without consult- a
ing Octavian. He first subdued Lilybaeum and
the neighbouring towns, and then marched against COIN OF M. LEPIDUS, THE TRIUMVIR.
Messana, which he also conquered. The eight
Pompeian legions, which formed the garrison of 18. SCIPIO, a brother of the two preceding [Nos.
the latter town, joined him, so that his army 16 and 17], and a son of No. 13, must have been
now amounted to twenty legions. Lepidus, there- adopted by one of the Scipios. He fell in battle
fore, felt himself strong enough to assume a threaten- in the war of his father against the aristocratical
ing position, and accordingly, on the arrival of party, B.c. 77. (Oros. v. 22.)
Octavian, claimed Sicily for himself, and an equal 19. PAULUS AEMILIUS L. F. M. N. LEPIDUS,
share as triumvir in the government of the state. the son of L. Aemilius Paullus [No. 16], with
A civil war seemed inevitable. But Lepidus did whom he is frequently confounded. His name is
not possess the confidence of his soldiers; Octavian variously given by the ancient writers Aemilius
found means to seduce them from their allegiance, Paullus, or Paullus Aemilius, or Aemilius Lepidus
and at length, feeling sure of support from a nu- Paullus, but Paullus AemniliuS Lepidus seems to be
merous body of them, adopted oine day the bold the more correct form. He probably fled with his
resolution of riding into the very camp of Lepidus, father to Brutus, and seems to have been entrusted
and calling upon his troops to save their country by the latter with the defence of Crete; for we find
from a civil war. Although this daring attempt did him after the death of Brutus joining the remnants
not immediately succeed, and Octavian was obliged of the republican party with the Cretan troops, and
to retire with a wound in his breast, yet it had sailing with them into the Ionian sea. He must
eventually the desired effect. Detachment after subsequently have made his peace with the triumdetachment deserted Lepidus, who found himself virs, as we find him accompanying Octavian in his
at last obliged to surrender to Octavian. All his campaign against Sex. Pompey in Sicily in B. C.
courage now forsook him. He put on mourning, 36. In B. C. 34 he obtained the consulship, but
and threw himself before the knees of Octavian, only as consul suffectus, on the 1st of July, and
begging for his life. This Octavian granted him, dedicated the basilica Aemilia, which had been
but he deprived himof his triumvirate, his army, originally erected by his father [see p. 766], but
and his provinces, and commanded that he should which he had rebuilt. In B. C. 22 he was censor
live at Circeii, under strict surveillance. He allowed with L. Munatius Plancus, with whom he could
him, however, to retain his private fortune, and his not agree, and died while holding this dignity.
dignity of pontifex maximus. Dion Cassius seems to have confounded him with
Thus ended the public life of Lepidus. After the his father in saying that the censor had been forconspiracy of his son against the life of Augustus merly proscribed; it is not impossible, however,
at the time of the battle of Actium (see below), that the son may have been proscribed along with
Lepidus was ordered to return to Rome; and, his father, although no other writer mentions the
though he had not been privy to it, he was treated fact. (Appian, B. C. v. 2; Suet. Octav. 16;
by Augustus with the utmost indignity. Still the Dion Cass. xlix. 42, liv. 2; Vell. Pat. ii. 95;
loss of honour and rank, and the insults to which Propert. iv. 11. 67.).