LEPIDUS, son
was chosen one of the pontiffs in B.
was chosen one of the pontiffs in B.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - b
Lepidus, pro- | fought in the forum.
(Liv, xxiii.
30.
) His first
bably a grandson of No. 1, was augur and twice consulship was in B. C. 232, when the agrarian
consul. He died in the year of the battle of law of C. Flaminius was passed (Polyb. ï. 21;
Cannae, B. C. 216 ; and his three sons exhibited in 'Zonar, viii. p. 401, c); but the date of his second
## p. 763 (#779) ############################################
LEPIDUS.
763
LEPIDUS.
consulship is uncertain. Some have supposed that his province, and consul 187, after two unsuccessful
he was consul suffectus in B. C. 220. (Pighius, ad attempts to obtain the latter dignity. In his con-
Ann. )
sulship he was engaged, with his colleague C. Fla-
3. M. AEMILIUS M. f. M. N. LEPIDUS, eldest minius, in the conquest of the Ligurians; and after
son of the preceding, was praetor in B. c. 218, when the reduction of this people, he continued the Via
he commanded in Sicily; and in the following year Flaminia from Ariminum by way of Bononia to
he is spoken of by Livy as praetor in Rome; but we Placentia, and from thence to Aquileia. (Comp.
must suppose that in the latter year he was only Strab. v. p. 217. ) lle was elected pontifex max-
propraetor. He was an unsuccessful candidate for imus B. c. 180, censor 179, with M. Fulvius Nobi-
the consulship for B. c. 216. (Liv. xxi. 49, 5), lior, and consul a second time 175. Ile was six
xxii, 9, 33, 35, xxiii. 30. )
times chosen by the censors princeps senatus, and
4. L. AEMILIUS LEPIDUS, brother of No. 3. he died in B. C. 152, full of years and honours.
(Liv, xxii. 30. )
Judging from the strict orders which he gave to his
5. Q. AEMILIUS LEPIDUS, brother of Nos. 3 sons to bury him in a plain and simple manner
and 4. (Liv. xxiii. 30. )
(Liv. Epit. 48), we may conclude that he belonged
6. M. or M'. A Emilius LEPIDUS, praetor B. C. to that party of the Roman nobles who set their
213. (Liv. xxiv. 43, 44. ) In Livy the praenomen faces against the refined but extravagant habits
is Marcus; but instead of this we ought probably which the Scipios and their friends were intro-
to read Manius ; for we find that the M. Aemilius ducing into the state. Lepidus the triumvir is
Lepidus who was consul in B. c. 158 is described in called by Cicero (Phil. xi. 7) the pronepos of this
the Fasti as M'. f. M'. n. ; and as there was another Lepidus ; but he would seem more probably to
11. Lepidus praetor in B. C. 218 (see No. 3], it is have been his abnepos, or great-great-grandson.
probable that the praetor in 213 was M'. Lepidus, This Lepidus left several sons; but we can hardly
the father of the consul of 158. Marcus was such a suppose that either the M. Lepidus Porcina, who
well-known praenomen of the Lepidi, that we can was consul B. c. 137, or the M. Lepidus who was
easily understand why it should be substituted for consul B. C. 126, were his sons, more especially as
the less common one of Manius.
Livy mentions one of his sons, M. Lepidus (xxxvii.
7. M. AEMILIUS M. F. M. n. LEPIDUS, the son 43), as tribune of the soldiers in B. c. 190: the
of No. 3, was perhaps the Lepidus who is said to other two we may therefore look upon as his
have served in the army while still a boy (puer), grandsons. (Polyb. xvi. 34 ; Liv. xxxi. 2, 18,
and to have killed an enemy, and saved the life of xxxii. 7, xxxv. 10, 24, xxxvi. 2, xxxviii. 42,
a citizen. (Val. Max. iii. 1. & 1. ) This event is xxxix. 2, 56 ; Polyb. xxiii. 1 ; Val. Max. vi. 3.
referred to in the accompanying coin of the Aemilia $ 3; Liv. xl. 42, 45, 46; Val. Max. iv. 2. $ 1;
gens: it bears on the obverse a woman's head, and Cic. de Prov. Cons. 9; Liv. Epit. 48, comp. xl. 51,
on the reverse a horseman, with the legend M. LE- xli. 27, xliii. 15, Epil. 46, 47 ; Polyb. xxxii. 22. )
PIDUS AN. XV. PR. H. O. C. S. , that is, M. Lepidus The following coin of Lepidus refers to his embassy
annorum xv. praetextatus hostem occidit, civem ser to Egypt mentioned above, and to his acting as guar-
dian of Ptolemy V. The obverse contains a female
head, intended to represent the city of Alexandria,
with the legend ALEXANDREA, and the reverse
Lepidus placing the diadem on the head of the
king, with the legend M. LEPIDVS PONT. MAX.
From the fact that Lepidus is
BIDVS
here described as pontifex maximus, and that Vale
rius Maximus (vi. 6. § 1), in relating his guardian-
ship, speaks of him as pontifex maximus and twice
consul, Pighius has supposed (Annal. vol. ii. p.
vavit. He was one of three ambassadors sent by 403) that Lepidus must have been guardian of the
the Romans in B. C. 201 to the Egyptian court, Ptolemies VI. and VII. ; but Eckhel (vol
. v. pp.
which was then a firm ally of the republic, and had 123-126) has very ably refuted this opinion, and
solicited them to send some one to administer the has shown that this coin was struck by one of the
affairs of the kingdom for their infant sovereign descendants of Lepidus, who would naturally
Ptolemy V. Although Lepidus was the youngest introduce in the legend of the coin one of the dis-
of the three ambassadors, he seems to have enjoyed tinguished offices of his ancestor, though held at a
the most power and influence, and accordingly we period subsequent to the event commemorated on
find writers speaking of him alone as the tutor of the coin,
the Egyptian king (Tac. Ann. ii. 67 ; Justin. XXX.
2, 3; Val. Max. vi. 6. § 1); and it is not impro-
bable that he remained in Egypt in that capacity
when his colleagues returned to Rome. His supe-
rior importance is also shown by his colleagues
sending him alone to Philip III. of Macedonia,
who had exhibited signs of hostility towards the
Romans by the siege of Abydos, and who was not
a little astonished at the haughty bearing of the
young Roman noble on this occasion. How long
Lepidus remained in Egypt is uncertain, but as he 8. M. AEMILIUS M'. F. M. N.
LEPIDUS, son
was chosen one of the pontiffs in B. C. 199, we must probably of No. 6, consul B. C. 158, is mentioned
conclude that he was in Rome at that time, though only by Pliny (H. N. xxxiv. 6), and in the Fasti.
he may have returned again to Egypt. He was We learn from the Fasti Capitolini that he was
elected aedile B. c. 192, praetor 191 with Sicily as M. f. M. n; from which we perceive that he
TVTOR REG. S. C.
COIN OF M. AEMILIUS LEPIDUS.
a
ITIE
AMORE
ONMAN
LEX
EPIDE
COIN OF M. AEMILIUS LEPIDUS.
## p. 764 (#780) ############################################
764
LEPIDUS.
LEPIDUS.
was a son.
could not have been the son of No. 7, as Drumann 12. Q. Aemilius LEPIDUS, the grandfather of
alleges.
Lepidus the triumvir, must have been either a son
9. M. AEMILIUS LEPIDUS, the son of No. 7, or grandson of No. 7. (See below, No. 17. ) But
tribune of the soldiers in the war against Anti-the dates will hardly allow us to suppose that he
ochus the Great, B. c. 190. (Liv. xxxvii. 43. )
He was therefore probably a son of
10. M. AEMilius M. f. M. n. Lepidus Por- No. 9, and a grandson of No. 7.
CINA, son probably of No. 9, and grandson of No. 13. M. AEMILIUS Q. F. M. N. LEPIDUS, the
7, was consul B. c. 137. He was sent into Spain son of No. 11, and the father of the triumvir, was
in his consulship to succeed his colleague C. Hos pretor in Sicily in B. c. 81, where he earned a
tilius Mancinus, who had been defeated by the character by his oppressions only second to that of
Numantines (MANCINUS); and while he was Verres. (Cic. in Verr. iii. 91. ) In the civil wars
waiting for reinforcements from home, as he was between Marius and Sulla he belonged at first to
not yet in a condition to attack the Numantines, the party of the latter, and acquired considerable
he resolved to make war upon the Vaccaei, under property by the purchase of confiscated estates ;
the pretence of their having assisted the Numan, but he was afterwards seized with the ambition
tines. This he did merely from the desire of dis- of becoming a leader of the popular party, to
tinguishing himself; and the senate, immediately which post he might perhaps consider himself as in
his intention became known, sent deputies to com- some degree entitled, by having married Appulein,
mand him to desist from his design, as they depre the daughter of the celebrated tribune Appuleinis
cated a new war in Spain, after experiencing 60 Saturnimus. He accordingly sued for the con-
many disasters. Lepidus, however, had commenced sulship in B. c. 79, in opposition to Sulla ; but
the war before the deputies arrived, and had sum- the latter, who had resigned his dictatorship in
moned to his assistance his relation, D. Brutus, who this year, felt that his power was too well esta-
commanded in Further Spain, and was a general blished to be shaken by any thing that Lepidus
of considerable experience and skill. [Brutus could do, and accordingly made no efforts to oppose
No. 15, p. 509, b. ) Notwithstanding his aid, his election. Pompey, moreover, whose vanity
Lepidus was unsuccessful. After laying waste the was inflamed by the desire of returning a candidate
open country, the two generals laid siege to Pal- against the wishes of the all-powerful Sulla, ex-
lantia, the capital of the Vaccaei (the modern erted himself warmly to secure the election of
Palencia), but they suffered so dreadfully from Lepidus, and not only succeeded, but brought him
want of provisions, that they were obliged to raise in by more votes than his colleague, Q. Lutatius
the siege ; and a considerable part of their army Catulus, who belonged to the ruling party. Sulla
was destroyed by the enemy in their retreat. This viewed all these proceedings with great indiffer-
happened in the proconsulship of Lepidus, B. C. ence, and contented himself with warning Pompey,
136 ; and when the news reached Rome, Lepidus when he met him returning in pride from the elec-
was deprived of his command, and condemned to tion, that he had strengthened one who would be
pay a fine. (Appian, Hisp. 80-83, who says his rival.
that Lepidus was deprived of his consulship, by The death of Sulla in the following year, B. C.
which we must understand proconsulship; Liv. 78, soon after Lepidus and Catulus had entered
Epit. 56; Oros. v. 5. ) Lepidus was augur in B. C. upon their consulship, determined Lepidus to make
125, when he was summoned by the censors, Cn. the bold attempt to rescind the laws of Sulla and
Servilius Caepio and L. Cassius Longinus, to ac- overthrow the aristocratical constitution which he
count for having built a house in too magnificent a had established. There were abundant materials
style. (Vell Pat ii 10 ; Val. Max. viii. 1, damn. 7. ) of discontent in Italy, and it would not have been
Lepidus was a man of education and refined difficult to collect a numerous army ; but the rie-
taste. Cicero, who had read his speeches, speaks tory of the aristocratical party was too firmly
of him as the greatest orator of his age, and says secured by Sulla's military colonies to fear any
that he was the first who introduced into Latin attempts that Lepidus might make, since he did
oratory the smooth and even flow of words and the not possess either sufficient influence or sufficient
artificial construction of sentences which distin- talent to take the lead in a great revolution. He
guished the Greek. He helped to form the style seems, moreover, to have reckoned upon the as-
of Tib. Gracchus and C. Carbo, who were accus sistance of Pompey, who remained, on the con-
tomed to listen to him with great care.
trary, firm to the aristocracy. The first movement
however, very deficient in a knowledge of law and of Lepidus was to endeavour to prevent the burial
Roman institutions. (Cic. Brute 25, 86, 97, de of Sulla in the Campus Martius, but he was obliged
Orat. i. 10, Tuscul. i. 3; Auctor, ad Herenn. iv. 5. ) | to relinquish this design through the opposition of
In politics Lepidus seems to have belonged to the Pompey. He next formally proposed several laws
aristocratical party. He opposed in his consulship with the object of abolishing Sulla’s constitution,
(B. C. 137) the law for introducing the ballot (lex but their exact provisions are not mentioned by
tabellaria) proposed by L. Cassius Longinus (Cic. the ancient writers. We know, however, that he
Brut. 25); and it appears from a fragment of Pris proposed to recall all persons who had been pro-
cian (vol. i. p. 456), that Lepidus spoke in favour of scribed, and to restore to them their property,
a repeal of the lex Aemilia, which was probably which had passed into the hands of other parties.
the sumptuary law proposed by the consul, M. Such a measure would alone have thrown all
Aemilius Scaurus in B. C. 115. (Meyer, Orator. Italy into confusion again. At Rome the utmost
Rom. Fragm. p. 193, &c. 2d. ed. )
agitation prevailed. Catulus showed himself a
11. M. Aemilius M. f. M. n. Lepidus, consul firm and dauntless friend of the aristocracy,
B. c. 126 (Cic. Brut. 28 ; Obsequ. 89; Oros. v. 10. ), and appears to have obtained a tribune to put
and brother apparently of No. 10. , though it is his veto upon the rogations of Lepidus. The
difficult to account for their both having the same exasperation between the two parties rose to its
praenomen.
height, and the senate saw no other means of
He was,
p
## p. 765 (#781) ############################################
LEPIDUS.
765
LEPIDUS.
avoiding an immediate outbreak except by inducing | he retired to his Formian villa to watch the prin
the two consuls to swear that they would not take gress of events. Here he was in almost daily in-
up arms against one another. 'To this they both tercourse with Cicero, from whose letters we learn
consented, and Lepidus the more willingly, as the that Lepidus was resolved not to cross the sea with
oath, according to his interpretation, only bound Pompey, but to yield to Caesar if the latter was
him during his consulship, and he had now time to likely to be victorious. lle erentually returned to
collect resources for the coming contest. These Rome in March. (Sall. Cat. 18; Cic. in Cal. i. 6,
the senate itself supplied him with. They had in pro Sull. 4; Dion Cass. xxxvi. 25; Ascon. in
the previous year voted Italy and Further Gaul as Corncl
. p. 66, ed. Orelli ; Cic. ad All, vii. 12, 23,
the consular provinces, and the latter had fallen to viii. 1, 6, 9, 15, ix. 1. )
Lepidus, Anxious now to remove him from Italy, 16. L. AEMILIUS M. F. Q. N.
bably a grandson of No. 1, was augur and twice consulship was in B. C. 232, when the agrarian
consul. He died in the year of the battle of law of C. Flaminius was passed (Polyb. ï. 21;
Cannae, B. C. 216 ; and his three sons exhibited in 'Zonar, viii. p. 401, c); but the date of his second
## p. 763 (#779) ############################################
LEPIDUS.
763
LEPIDUS.
consulship is uncertain. Some have supposed that his province, and consul 187, after two unsuccessful
he was consul suffectus in B. C. 220. (Pighius, ad attempts to obtain the latter dignity. In his con-
Ann. )
sulship he was engaged, with his colleague C. Fla-
3. M. AEMILIUS M. f. M. N. LEPIDUS, eldest minius, in the conquest of the Ligurians; and after
son of the preceding, was praetor in B. c. 218, when the reduction of this people, he continued the Via
he commanded in Sicily; and in the following year Flaminia from Ariminum by way of Bononia to
he is spoken of by Livy as praetor in Rome; but we Placentia, and from thence to Aquileia. (Comp.
must suppose that in the latter year he was only Strab. v. p. 217. ) lle was elected pontifex max-
propraetor. He was an unsuccessful candidate for imus B. c. 180, censor 179, with M. Fulvius Nobi-
the consulship for B. c. 216. (Liv. xxi. 49, 5), lior, and consul a second time 175. Ile was six
xxii, 9, 33, 35, xxiii. 30. )
times chosen by the censors princeps senatus, and
4. L. AEMILIUS LEPIDUS, brother of No. 3. he died in B. C. 152, full of years and honours.
(Liv, xxii. 30. )
Judging from the strict orders which he gave to his
5. Q. AEMILIUS LEPIDUS, brother of Nos. 3 sons to bury him in a plain and simple manner
and 4. (Liv. xxiii. 30. )
(Liv. Epit. 48), we may conclude that he belonged
6. M. or M'. A Emilius LEPIDUS, praetor B. C. to that party of the Roman nobles who set their
213. (Liv. xxiv. 43, 44. ) In Livy the praenomen faces against the refined but extravagant habits
is Marcus; but instead of this we ought probably which the Scipios and their friends were intro-
to read Manius ; for we find that the M. Aemilius ducing into the state. Lepidus the triumvir is
Lepidus who was consul in B. c. 158 is described in called by Cicero (Phil. xi. 7) the pronepos of this
the Fasti as M'. f. M'. n. ; and as there was another Lepidus ; but he would seem more probably to
11. Lepidus praetor in B. C. 218 (see No. 3], it is have been his abnepos, or great-great-grandson.
probable that the praetor in 213 was M'. Lepidus, This Lepidus left several sons; but we can hardly
the father of the consul of 158. Marcus was such a suppose that either the M. Lepidus Porcina, who
well-known praenomen of the Lepidi, that we can was consul B. c. 137, or the M. Lepidus who was
easily understand why it should be substituted for consul B. C. 126, were his sons, more especially as
the less common one of Manius.
Livy mentions one of his sons, M. Lepidus (xxxvii.
7. M. AEMILIUS M. F. M. n. LEPIDUS, the son 43), as tribune of the soldiers in B. c. 190: the
of No. 3, was perhaps the Lepidus who is said to other two we may therefore look upon as his
have served in the army while still a boy (puer), grandsons. (Polyb. xvi. 34 ; Liv. xxxi. 2, 18,
and to have killed an enemy, and saved the life of xxxii. 7, xxxv. 10, 24, xxxvi. 2, xxxviii. 42,
a citizen. (Val. Max. iii. 1. & 1. ) This event is xxxix. 2, 56 ; Polyb. xxiii. 1 ; Val. Max. vi. 3.
referred to in the accompanying coin of the Aemilia $ 3; Liv. xl. 42, 45, 46; Val. Max. iv. 2. $ 1;
gens: it bears on the obverse a woman's head, and Cic. de Prov. Cons. 9; Liv. Epit. 48, comp. xl. 51,
on the reverse a horseman, with the legend M. LE- xli. 27, xliii. 15, Epil. 46, 47 ; Polyb. xxxii. 22. )
PIDUS AN. XV. PR. H. O. C. S. , that is, M. Lepidus The following coin of Lepidus refers to his embassy
annorum xv. praetextatus hostem occidit, civem ser to Egypt mentioned above, and to his acting as guar-
dian of Ptolemy V. The obverse contains a female
head, intended to represent the city of Alexandria,
with the legend ALEXANDREA, and the reverse
Lepidus placing the diadem on the head of the
king, with the legend M. LEPIDVS PONT. MAX.
From the fact that Lepidus is
BIDVS
here described as pontifex maximus, and that Vale
rius Maximus (vi. 6. § 1), in relating his guardian-
ship, speaks of him as pontifex maximus and twice
consul, Pighius has supposed (Annal. vol. ii. p.
vavit. He was one of three ambassadors sent by 403) that Lepidus must have been guardian of the
the Romans in B. C. 201 to the Egyptian court, Ptolemies VI. and VII. ; but Eckhel (vol
. v. pp.
which was then a firm ally of the republic, and had 123-126) has very ably refuted this opinion, and
solicited them to send some one to administer the has shown that this coin was struck by one of the
affairs of the kingdom for their infant sovereign descendants of Lepidus, who would naturally
Ptolemy V. Although Lepidus was the youngest introduce in the legend of the coin one of the dis-
of the three ambassadors, he seems to have enjoyed tinguished offices of his ancestor, though held at a
the most power and influence, and accordingly we period subsequent to the event commemorated on
find writers speaking of him alone as the tutor of the coin,
the Egyptian king (Tac. Ann. ii. 67 ; Justin. XXX.
2, 3; Val. Max. vi. 6. § 1); and it is not impro-
bable that he remained in Egypt in that capacity
when his colleagues returned to Rome. His supe-
rior importance is also shown by his colleagues
sending him alone to Philip III. of Macedonia,
who had exhibited signs of hostility towards the
Romans by the siege of Abydos, and who was not
a little astonished at the haughty bearing of the
young Roman noble on this occasion. How long
Lepidus remained in Egypt is uncertain, but as he 8. M. AEMILIUS M'. F. M. N.
LEPIDUS, son
was chosen one of the pontiffs in B. C. 199, we must probably of No. 6, consul B. C. 158, is mentioned
conclude that he was in Rome at that time, though only by Pliny (H. N. xxxiv. 6), and in the Fasti.
he may have returned again to Egypt. He was We learn from the Fasti Capitolini that he was
elected aedile B. c. 192, praetor 191 with Sicily as M. f. M. n; from which we perceive that he
TVTOR REG. S. C.
COIN OF M. AEMILIUS LEPIDUS.
a
ITIE
AMORE
ONMAN
LEX
EPIDE
COIN OF M. AEMILIUS LEPIDUS.
## p. 764 (#780) ############################################
764
LEPIDUS.
LEPIDUS.
was a son.
could not have been the son of No. 7, as Drumann 12. Q. Aemilius LEPIDUS, the grandfather of
alleges.
Lepidus the triumvir, must have been either a son
9. M. AEMILIUS LEPIDUS, the son of No. 7, or grandson of No. 7. (See below, No. 17. ) But
tribune of the soldiers in the war against Anti-the dates will hardly allow us to suppose that he
ochus the Great, B. c. 190. (Liv. xxxvii. 43. )
He was therefore probably a son of
10. M. AEMilius M. f. M. n. Lepidus Por- No. 9, and a grandson of No. 7.
CINA, son probably of No. 9, and grandson of No. 13. M. AEMILIUS Q. F. M. N. LEPIDUS, the
7, was consul B. c. 137. He was sent into Spain son of No. 11, and the father of the triumvir, was
in his consulship to succeed his colleague C. Hos pretor in Sicily in B. c. 81, where he earned a
tilius Mancinus, who had been defeated by the character by his oppressions only second to that of
Numantines (MANCINUS); and while he was Verres. (Cic. in Verr. iii. 91. ) In the civil wars
waiting for reinforcements from home, as he was between Marius and Sulla he belonged at first to
not yet in a condition to attack the Numantines, the party of the latter, and acquired considerable
he resolved to make war upon the Vaccaei, under property by the purchase of confiscated estates ;
the pretence of their having assisted the Numan, but he was afterwards seized with the ambition
tines. This he did merely from the desire of dis- of becoming a leader of the popular party, to
tinguishing himself; and the senate, immediately which post he might perhaps consider himself as in
his intention became known, sent deputies to com- some degree entitled, by having married Appulein,
mand him to desist from his design, as they depre the daughter of the celebrated tribune Appuleinis
cated a new war in Spain, after experiencing 60 Saturnimus. He accordingly sued for the con-
many disasters. Lepidus, however, had commenced sulship in B. c. 79, in opposition to Sulla ; but
the war before the deputies arrived, and had sum- the latter, who had resigned his dictatorship in
moned to his assistance his relation, D. Brutus, who this year, felt that his power was too well esta-
commanded in Further Spain, and was a general blished to be shaken by any thing that Lepidus
of considerable experience and skill. [Brutus could do, and accordingly made no efforts to oppose
No. 15, p. 509, b. ) Notwithstanding his aid, his election. Pompey, moreover, whose vanity
Lepidus was unsuccessful. After laying waste the was inflamed by the desire of returning a candidate
open country, the two generals laid siege to Pal- against the wishes of the all-powerful Sulla, ex-
lantia, the capital of the Vaccaei (the modern erted himself warmly to secure the election of
Palencia), but they suffered so dreadfully from Lepidus, and not only succeeded, but brought him
want of provisions, that they were obliged to raise in by more votes than his colleague, Q. Lutatius
the siege ; and a considerable part of their army Catulus, who belonged to the ruling party. Sulla
was destroyed by the enemy in their retreat. This viewed all these proceedings with great indiffer-
happened in the proconsulship of Lepidus, B. C. ence, and contented himself with warning Pompey,
136 ; and when the news reached Rome, Lepidus when he met him returning in pride from the elec-
was deprived of his command, and condemned to tion, that he had strengthened one who would be
pay a fine. (Appian, Hisp. 80-83, who says his rival.
that Lepidus was deprived of his consulship, by The death of Sulla in the following year, B. C.
which we must understand proconsulship; Liv. 78, soon after Lepidus and Catulus had entered
Epit. 56; Oros. v. 5. ) Lepidus was augur in B. C. upon their consulship, determined Lepidus to make
125, when he was summoned by the censors, Cn. the bold attempt to rescind the laws of Sulla and
Servilius Caepio and L. Cassius Longinus, to ac- overthrow the aristocratical constitution which he
count for having built a house in too magnificent a had established. There were abundant materials
style. (Vell Pat ii 10 ; Val. Max. viii. 1, damn. 7. ) of discontent in Italy, and it would not have been
Lepidus was a man of education and refined difficult to collect a numerous army ; but the rie-
taste. Cicero, who had read his speeches, speaks tory of the aristocratical party was too firmly
of him as the greatest orator of his age, and says secured by Sulla's military colonies to fear any
that he was the first who introduced into Latin attempts that Lepidus might make, since he did
oratory the smooth and even flow of words and the not possess either sufficient influence or sufficient
artificial construction of sentences which distin- talent to take the lead in a great revolution. He
guished the Greek. He helped to form the style seems, moreover, to have reckoned upon the as-
of Tib. Gracchus and C. Carbo, who were accus sistance of Pompey, who remained, on the con-
tomed to listen to him with great care.
trary, firm to the aristocracy. The first movement
however, very deficient in a knowledge of law and of Lepidus was to endeavour to prevent the burial
Roman institutions. (Cic. Brute 25, 86, 97, de of Sulla in the Campus Martius, but he was obliged
Orat. i. 10, Tuscul. i. 3; Auctor, ad Herenn. iv. 5. ) | to relinquish this design through the opposition of
In politics Lepidus seems to have belonged to the Pompey. He next formally proposed several laws
aristocratical party. He opposed in his consulship with the object of abolishing Sulla’s constitution,
(B. C. 137) the law for introducing the ballot (lex but their exact provisions are not mentioned by
tabellaria) proposed by L. Cassius Longinus (Cic. the ancient writers. We know, however, that he
Brut. 25); and it appears from a fragment of Pris proposed to recall all persons who had been pro-
cian (vol. i. p. 456), that Lepidus spoke in favour of scribed, and to restore to them their property,
a repeal of the lex Aemilia, which was probably which had passed into the hands of other parties.
the sumptuary law proposed by the consul, M. Such a measure would alone have thrown all
Aemilius Scaurus in B. C. 115. (Meyer, Orator. Italy into confusion again. At Rome the utmost
Rom. Fragm. p. 193, &c. 2d. ed. )
agitation prevailed. Catulus showed himself a
11. M. Aemilius M. f. M. n. Lepidus, consul firm and dauntless friend of the aristocracy,
B. c. 126 (Cic. Brut. 28 ; Obsequ. 89; Oros. v. 10. ), and appears to have obtained a tribune to put
and brother apparently of No. 10. , though it is his veto upon the rogations of Lepidus. The
difficult to account for their both having the same exasperation between the two parties rose to its
praenomen.
height, and the senate saw no other means of
He was,
p
## p. 765 (#781) ############################################
LEPIDUS.
765
LEPIDUS.
avoiding an immediate outbreak except by inducing | he retired to his Formian villa to watch the prin
the two consuls to swear that they would not take gress of events. Here he was in almost daily in-
up arms against one another. 'To this they both tercourse with Cicero, from whose letters we learn
consented, and Lepidus the more willingly, as the that Lepidus was resolved not to cross the sea with
oath, according to his interpretation, only bound Pompey, but to yield to Caesar if the latter was
him during his consulship, and he had now time to likely to be victorious. lle erentually returned to
collect resources for the coming contest. These Rome in March. (Sall. Cat. 18; Cic. in Cal. i. 6,
the senate itself supplied him with. They had in pro Sull. 4; Dion Cass. xxxvi. 25; Ascon. in
the previous year voted Italy and Further Gaul as Corncl
. p. 66, ed. Orelli ; Cic. ad All, vii. 12, 23,
the consular provinces, and the latter had fallen to viii. 1, 6, 9, 15, ix. 1. )
Lepidus, Anxious now to remove him from Italy, 16. L. AEMILIUS M. F. Q. N.
