Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (Triumvir)
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (* around 90 BC; † 12 BC ) was a Roman politician and general at the end of the republic and the beginning of the imperial era. He was a high-ranking supporter of Gaius Julius Caesar and after his assassination (March 15, 44 BC ) formed the second triumvirate with Octavian (later Emperor Augustus ) and Mark Antony . Soon he was only the weakest member of this de facto dictatorial college of three men. 36 BC BC he supported Octavian in the fight against Sextus Pompeius . When he made claims to the possession of Sicily due to his contribution to Pompey's defeat , Octavian sidelined him in terms of power politics and had to spend his rest of life under surveillance in Italy without influence.
Political beginnings and career under Caesar
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus was a son of the consul of the same name from 78 BC. At first he had a modest career. He became pontiff and around 66 BC BC Mint master , whereby he did not mint his name on the coins he issued. 53 BC BC or a little earlier he exercised the office of aedile . Early 52 BC He acted as the first Interrex and, according to tradition, did not want to hold the elections for the highest officials. Therefore he was besieged in his apartment for five days by those consulate candidates who belonged to the party of Publius Clodius Pulcher , but rescued by armed supporters of Clodius' opponent Titus Annius Milo .
As early as 49 BC When the civil war broke out between Caesar and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus , Lepidus made a steeper career as a partisan of Caesar. 49 BC He was praetor and was entrusted with the administration of Rome by Caesar when he set out in April (according to the pre-Julian calendar) to fight the Pompeian generals defending Spain . The lower-ranking Mark Antony , however, had greater power in Italy, where he had to ensure the maintenance of law and order during Caesar's absence. By popular resolution, Lepidus appointed Caesar dictator , so that after his return to Rome (December 49 BC [pre-Julian]) he could immediately carry out important measures such as the consular elections. Lepidus' approach, however, was legally controversial, as only a consul could appoint a dictator. Both consuls had fled with Pompey and the lower-ranking Lepidus had made an amendment to the law that enabled him to appoint a dictator as praetor.
Caesar showed himself to be recognized by the fact that Lepidus was promoted to governor of Hispania citerior with a proconsular empire . He stood this province in 48 and 47 BC. BC and plundered them. Since he was 47 BC In BC the disputes between Quintus Cassius Longinus , governor of Hispania ulterior , and whose quaestor Marcus Claudius Marcellus Aeserninus settled, he was allowed to call himself an emperor and hold a triumph after his return to Rome , although he had hardly performed any military service.
46 BC Lepidus officiated together with Caesar as consul . During this war in North Africa against his opponents of civil war, who continued the resistance even after Pompey's death, Lepidus stayed in Rome. After his victory at Thapsus (April 46 BC [pre-Julian]), Caesar was elected dictator for the third time and this time for ten years. Lepidus now functioned until 44 BC. As his Magister equitum . He took this position when Caesar 45 BC. BC fought again, this time on the Iberian Peninsula, against the remaining Pompeians, with the support of six or eight city praetors, the management of the business in Rome was carried out.
For the year 44 BC Lepidus was appointed governor of the provinces of Gallia Narbonensis and Hispania citerior by Caesar ; their administration was taken over by his legates for the time being. He himself stayed in Rome and recruited troops for his provinces. The conspirators against the dictator considered murdering Lepidus and Marcus Antonius as well, but this plan was dropped again. On the evening of March 14, 44 BC Caesar and Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus ate at Lepidus'. The next day, the Ides of March , Decimus Brutus was one of Caesar's murderers. Lepidus was not present at this assassination attempt, in which the dictator fell victim, but found out about it when he was in the market. Thereupon he fled briefly to his apartment - just like Antonius - in the first shock.
After the ides of March
Lepidus soon went to his troops, the only armed force near the capital, and occupied the forum with them on the night after Caesar's assassination. In a speech the next morning he tried to incite the people against the Caesar murderers entrenched on the Capitol . But he submitted to the consul Antonius, who was initially concerned about compensation. After the assassins in the Senate meeting on March 17, 44 BC. After they had been amnestied and received their sons hostage from Antonius and Lepidus, they left the Capitol. On the evening of the same day, the main conspirators Gaius Cassius Longinus were guests of Antonius and Marcus Junius Brutus of his brother-in-law Lepidus. So the situation in Rome relaxed. All governors appointed by Caesar, including Lepidus, kept their provinces.
When the young great-nephew and main heir of Caesar, Octavian , arrived in Rome, Antony tried to consolidate his already very great position of power against this new rival by establishing a closer relationship with the equally influential Lepidus. Therefore he let Lepidus end of May 44 BC. Elect from the popular assembly to the highest priesthood ( Pontifex maximus ), which has been vacant since Caesar's assassination . In order to establish family ties, Antonius' little daughter Antonia was betrothed to a son of Lepidus.
Lepidus then went to his provinces and acted on Antonius' initiative in the summer of 44 BC. A comparison with Sextus Pompeius . This youngest son of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus was able to establish himself in parts of southern Spain after the battle of Munda (45 BC), where he was able to gain primarily a sea power due to his fleet. According to the agreement brokered by Lepidus, Sextus Pompeius should be allowed to return to Rome and be compensated for his confiscated paternal inheritance. In gratitude for his commitment to the (temporary) removal of the threat posed by Sextus Pompeius, Lepidus was welcomed by the Senate at the meeting that Antonius held on November 28, 44 BC. Chr., Granted a festival of thanks.
Now the conflict between Antonius and the Senate Party over the speaker Marcus Tullius Cicero came to a head. Antony besieged the Caesar murderer Decimus Brutus in Mutina because he had refused to surrender his province of Gallia Cisalpina . Cicero tried to forge a combat alliance against Antonius, whom he regarded as a new tyrant, and for this purpose also to draw Lepidus on his side, as he had strong troop contingents. At the request of the speaker on January 3, 43 BC, the Senate decided to To erect a gilded equestrian statue of Lepidus on the forum. Lepidus' successful efforts to reconcile with Sextus Pompey were given as the official reason for this award. However, Lepidus wanted to maintain a neutral position and was therefore not very grateful for the honorary resolution brought about by Cicero. In March 43 BC In a letter addressed to the Senate, he pleaded for a peaceful solution to be sought with Antonius, about which Cicero, who called for war, was very upset. With his peace initiative Lepidus was unsuccessful and was asked by the Senate to provide military aid for the consuls and Octavian, who tried to bring relief to Decimus Brutus, who was trapped in Mutina. Lepidus only sent a contingent of troops under the command of Marcus Junius Silanus , who did not support the Senate armies, but Antonius.
After his defeat in the Battle of Mutina (April 21, 43 BC), Antony had to give up the siege of this city and withdrew to the west. He received reinforcements near Genoa by three legions brought to him by Publius Ventidius Bassus , crossed the Alps and entered the province of Lepidus without a fight. On May 15, he arrived at Forum Iulii at the outflow of the Argenteus . Lepidus and his seven legions - including three newly recruited - had moved into their quarters a little further up the river. Antonius encamped himself on the opposite bank and took advantage of the fact that his and Lepidus' soldiers did not want to fight each other. On May 29th he personally came to Lepidus' camp and was able to take him by surprise. Both generals united their armies, whereby Lepidus was allowed to command four of his legions under Antonius' high command.
After Antonius had been ostracized at Cicero's instigation, Lepidus also suffered this fate on June 30th, whose equestrian statue that had recently been erected was overturned. Soon afterwards, however, the alliance between the Senate and Octavian disintegrated completely. The latter marched in August 43 BC. BC with his troops against Rome and forced his election as consul. The young adoptive son of the dictator had the Caesar murderers ostracized and a few weeks later, a senate resolution initiated by his cousin and co-consul Quintus Pedius lifted the ostracism of Antonius and Lepidus because he sought an alliance with them. Gaius Asinius Pollio , governor of Hispania ulterior, and Lucius Munatius Plancus , governor of Gallia comata , also joined Antonius and Lepidus with their troops. The latter, however, had a very bad relationship with Plancus.
The second triumvirate
Now all leading Caesarians joined forces against the Caesar murderers Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius, who meanwhile controlled the entire east of the Roman Empire. Accompanied by Lepidus, Plancus, Pollio and strong contingents of troops, Antonius moved to Northern Italy and arrived at the end of October 43 BC. Together with Octavian for a conference. An island on the Lavinius River near Bononia was chosen as the place where Antonius and Octavian, the most powerful generals and Lepidus, the third most powerful general, were to negotiate the future division of power in the state and the fight against their enemies. However, the climate was marked by mistrust. Antonius and Octavian had each brought five legions with them and the island that was chosen as the meeting point was small, flat and easily observable from both banks for the soldiers watching. Lepidus first examined the area of the island for possible traps and then, by waving his war mantle, gave the sign that Antonius and Octavian would like to come. These then left their immediate entourage of 300 men each and went alone over the bridges to Lepidus on the island.
After two days of deliberations, the three men joined the second triumvirate , initially limited to five years (until the end of 38 BC) , which made them absolute rulers. With the exception of Italy, which they jointly ruled, they divided all the provinces of the western part of the Roman Empire they ruled among themselves, giving Lepidus Gallia Narbonensis and the entire Iberian Peninsula. While Octavian and Antonius undertook to fight the Caesar murderers in the east with the majority of the armed forces at their disposal, Lepidus was given the task of remaining in Rome with the three legions he had left and securing Italy for himself and his colleagues. His provinces should be administered by legates for this period. The triumvirs also intended to physically wipe out the political opponents in their sphere of influence and therefore had them declared outlawed. The corresponding proscription lists were later expanded again and again. Over time, a total of about 300 senators and 2,000 knights fell victim to this mass murder, including in December 43 BC. Chr. Cicero. Relatives of the three rulers were also ostracized, including Lepidus' brother Lucius Aemilius Lepidus Paullus , who was supposed to get away with his life because the soldiers charged with killing him spared him precisely because of his kinship with the triumvir.
After the negotiations had been concluded, the triumvirs, each accompanied by a bodyguard and a legion of soldiers, entered Rome on three consecutive days - Lepidus as the last. Their five-year extraordinary authority was given by a plebiscite requested by the tribune Publius Titius on November 27, 43 BC. Chr. Force of law. Instead of Decimus Brutus, who perished on the run, Lepidus was replaced on January 1, 42 BC. Consul for the second time and had Lucius Munatius Plancus as an official colleague.
In October / November 42 BC BC Antony and Octavian won the two battles at Philippi decisively over the Caesar murderers Brutus and Cassius and thereby drove them to suicide. The two successful triumvirs then largely disempowered their colleague Lepidus. Without consulting him, they redistributed their future tasks and areas of power. Under the pretext that Lepidus had developed treacherous relationships with Sextus Pompey, they withdrew his land ownership from him. Antony was to receive all of Gaul, Octavian all of Spain. In addition, each of them took one of the two Roman provinces in North Africa. But if Octavian, who was returning to Italy, could not confirm the suspicion against Lepidus, Lepidus should get the two African provinces.
Although Lepidus could not be proven, he had to start 41 BC. Do without Gallia Narbonensis and Spain. In the Peruvian War , which Octavian waged against Marcus Antonius' brother Lucius , Lepidus played an unfortunate role as sub-general of the heir of Caesar. After the capitulation of Lucius Antonius, who was trapped in Perusia (end of February 40 BC), Octavian tried to get rid of his fickle triumvirate colleague Lepidus in the face of impending conflicts with Marcus Antonius and his generals, but also with Sextus Pompeius. Therefore, Octavian ceded six legions, which he judged to be not very loyal, to Lepidus and sent him to Africa with this army. A supporter of Antonius, Titus Sextius, administered the African provinces at that time, but handed them over to Lepidus on his arrival together with four legions.
Lepidus had no part in the Treaty of Brundisium (autumn 40 BC) negotiated between Antonius and Octavian , but according to this agreement he was allowed to keep his African property. He initially remained a member of the Triumvirate, when it was in 37 BC. By the Treaty of Taranto until the end of 33 BC. Chr. Was extended. However, due to his now lower political weight, he was not included in the talks that led to the conclusion of this contract.
Participation in the fight against Sextus Pompey
36 BC By supporting Octavian in his war against Sextus Pompeius, Lepidus sought to sharpen his military profile and thereby regain greater political influence. Octavian had already fought unsuccessfully against Pompey for two years, whose strong military center was Sicily . This island was planned by Octavian in a large-scale invasion maneuver. He himself was to attack Sicily from the east, his close confidante Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa from the north and Lepidus from the west. Lepidus had to him 40 BC BC from Octavian and Titus Sextius, six more legions were recruited. Beginning of July 36 BC He sailed from Africa to Sicily with twelve legions and 5,000 Numidian cavalry on 70 warships and 1,000 cargo ships, but a large number of his ships went down due to a violent storm. At least he was able to establish himself with the majority of his army in the west of the island, now besieged Pompey's important base Lilybaeum (today Marsala ) and conquered its surroundings. The soldiers of four other legions, who were to follow him in a second step, were defeated by a Pompeian fleet and some perished in battle or in the sea; the rest had to return to Africa. Octavian's landing maneuver had meanwhile failed completely because of the storm and Lepidus was initially the only one whose attempt to invade Sicily had succeeded.
In August 36 BC Agrippa defeated a strong squadron of Sextus Pompeius in the naval battle of Mylae and then gained a foothold on the northeast coast of Sicily. In the meantime Octavian had landed near Tauromenium , but was unexpectedly attacked by the Pompeians who had returned after their defeat at Mylae and was only able to save himself with great difficulty on the Italian mainland with great losses. Agrippa managed to capture Tyndaris , where Octavian then sailed with larger contingents of troops. Pompey, whose situation had thus become much less favorable, withdrew to the north-east of Sicily, where he had Messana as his most important base ; he also held the Lilybaeum bulwark in the west of the island. When he let reinforcement troops come to him from there, they were pursued by Lepidus' legions. Lepidus took up his position close to that of Octavian, but soon came into conflict with him, because he no longer wanted to subordinate himself due to his large share in the army. Octavian feared that Lepidus might ally himself with Pompey and therefore sought a quick military decision. Despite his now much stronger position, he therefore agreed with Pompey on the time and place of a sea battle, the terms of which Pompey was allowed to negotiate on an equal footing. The agreed military confrontation took place on September 3, 36 BC. At Naulochos and ended with a complete defeat for Pompey, who then fled Sicily with a small fleet and sailed away unmolested in an easterly direction.
Disempowerment and later life
Sextus Pompeius' legate Lucius Pliny Rufus had moved with his eight legions to Messana on the command of his commander-in-chief, but Pompey had already left the island. Octavian stayed with Naulochus for a while, Agrippa and Lepidus, on the other hand, marched towards Messana and besieged Pliny there. After negotiations with Lepidus, he was ready to surrender. Contrary to Agrippa's request to wait for Octavian's arrival, Lepidus accepted the surrender of Messana and the submission of Pliny and took over his army, with which he now had an impressive 22 legions. Because of this strong armed force, he now made extensive demands, above all the possession of Sicily and the restoration of his rights as a triumvir. The disgruntled Octavian tried to imitate the earlier coup of Antonius by riding with a small number of companions to Lepidus' camp and asking his warriors to go over to his side. The Pompeian troops in particular received him kindly, but at the instigation of Lepidus he was driven away by other soldiers, and one of his bodyguards was killed. When Octavian then advanced with his main army against his adversary, the majority of his troops gradually fell off to him. Lepidus did not have enough authority by virtue of which he could bind his army to himself.
Lepidus, wrapped in mourning robes, begged Octavian for mercy. He renounced his execution, but took away his triumvirate, his territorial possession in Africa and his army. Lepidus only had his private fortune and the office of Pontifex Maximus , which according to tradition he was allowed to keep until his death. At first he lived under house arrest in Circei. After his son of the same name in 31 BC He had instigated a conspiracy to murder Octavian, who was near Actium at the time , and who had lost his life for it after its discovery, Lepidus, who was completely uninvolved in it, had to live in Rome since then to be more controllable and was treated with disdain by the Princeps. He died at the beginning of the year 12 BC. BC Emperor Augustus took over the office of Pontifex Maximus, previously held by Lepidus .
Lepidus was no later than 44 BC. Entered into a marriage with Iunia , a half-sister of the Caesar murderer Marcus Brutus. As mentioned, their son Marcus was born in 31 BC. Executed. In terms of character, Lepidus is unanimously described as extremely negative by the ancient authors; he was not very daring, weak, fickle and vain. Modern historians have largely subscribed to this assessment.
family tree
literature
- Jochen Bleicken : Augustus. A biography. 2nd Edition. Fest, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-8286-0027-1 .
- Luciano Canfora : Caesar. The democratic dictator. A biography. Beck, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-406-46640-0 .
- Maria H. Dettenhofer : Rule and resistance in the Augustan principate. The competition between Res publica and domus Augusta (= Historia . Individual writings. 140). Steiner, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-515-07639-5 (At the same time: Munich, University, habilitation paper, 1997: The competition between Res publica and Domus Caesaris. ).
- Helmut Halfmann : Marcus Antonius (= shaping the ancient world ). Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 2011, ISBN 978-3-534-21727-4 .
- Paul von Rohden : Aemilius 73 . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume I, 1, Stuttgart 1893, Col. 556-561.
Remarks
- ↑ Macrobius , Saturnalia 3, 13, 11.
- ↑ Cicero , Pro Milone 13; Asconius p. 43; Schol. Bob. p. 281.
- ^ Caesar, Civil War 2:21, 5; Cassius Dio 41, 36, 1; on this Luciano Canfora , Caesar, the democratic dictator , pp. 280–283.
- ^ [Caesar], Bellum Alexandrinum 59; Appian , Civil Wars 2, 48; Cassius Dio 43, 1, 1ff.
- ↑ Bellum Alexandrinum 63f .; Cassius Dio 43, 1, 2.
- ^ Helmut Halfmann: Marcus Antonius. 2011, p. 55.
- ↑ Cassius Dio 43, 51, 8; Appian, Civil Wars 2, 107.
- ↑ Plutarch , Caesar 63; Appian, Civil Wars 2, 115; Suetonius , Caesar 87.
- ^ Appian, Civil Wars 2, 118.
- ↑ Plutarch, Caesar 67.
- ↑ Cassius Dio 44, 22, 2f .; Appian, Civil Wars 2, 118; 2, 126; 2, 131; Nikolaos of Damascus , Life of Augustus 27
- ↑ Plutarch, Brutus 19 and Antonius 14; Cassius Dio 44, 34, 6f .; among others
- ↑ Cassius Dio 44, 53, 6f .; Appian, Civil Wars 2, 132; Velleius Paterculus 2, 63, 1; among others; on this Jochen Bleicken: Augustus. 2nd Edition. 1998, p. 65 f.
- ^ Cassius Dio 45, 10, 6.
- ^ Cicero, Third Philippine Speech 23f .; on this Jochen Bleicken: Augustus. 2nd Edition. 1998, p. 702 f.
- ↑ Cicero, Fifth Philippine Discourse 40; Thirteenth Philippine Speech 8.
- ↑ Cicero, Epistulae ad familiares 10, 6, 1; 10, 27, 1f .; 11, 18, 2; Thirteenth Philippine Speech 7 and 49.
- ↑ Cassius Dio 46, 29, 6; 46, 38, 5ff .; Appian, Civil Wars 3, 74.
- ↑ Cicero, Epistulae ad familiares 10, 23, 2f .; Appian, Civil Wars 3, 83f .; Plutarch, Antonius 18, 1-6; Cassius Dio 46, 51, 1-4; among others; on this Helmut Halfmann: Marcus Antonius. 2011, p. 89 ff.
- ↑ Cicero, Epistulae ad familiares 12, 10, 1; Velleius 2, 64, 4 and 2, 66, 1; Cassius Dio 46, 51, 4f.
- ^ Appian, Civil War 3, 96f .; Cassius Dio 46, 52f.
- ^ Appian, Civil Wars 4, 2; Cassius Dio 46, 55, 1; on this Jochen Bleicken: Augustus. 2nd Edition. 1998, p. 137 f. and Helmut Halfmann: Marcus Antonius. 2011, p. 94 f.
- ^ Appian, Civil Wars 4, 2ff; Cassius Dio 46, 55f .; 47, 3ff .; among others; on this Jochen Bleicken: Augustus. 2nd Edition. 1998, p. 138 ff. And Helmut Halfmann: Marcus Antonius. 2011, p. 95 ff.
- ^ Appian, Civil Wars 4, 7; Cassius Dio 47, 2, 1f.
- ↑ Cassius Dio 47, 16, 1; Velleius 2, 67, 4; among others
- ↑ Cassius Dio 48, 1, 3; Appian, Civil Wars 5, 3.
- ^ Appian, Civil Wars 5, 29f .; Cassius Dio 48, 13, 4; Livy, periochae 125.
- ↑ Jochen Bleicken: Augustus. 2nd Edition. 1998, p. 195 f. and 712.
- ↑ Plutarch, Antonius 30; Appian, Civil Wars 5, 65; Cassius Dio 48, 28, 4.
- ^ Appian, Civil Wars 5, 97f .; Cassius Dio 49, 1 and 49, 8; on this Jochen Bleicken: Augustus. 2nd Edition. 1998, p. 221 ff.
- ↑ Jochen Bleicken: Augustus. 2nd Edition. 1998, pp. 223-228.
- ^ Appian, Civil War 5, 122ff .; Cassius Dio 49, 11f .; on this Jochen Bleicken: Augustus. 2nd Edition. 1998, p. 228 ff.
- ↑ Cassius Dio 49, 12, 4; 49, 15, 3; 50, 1, 3; Appian, Civil Wars 5, 126; among others
- ↑ Suetonius, August 16, 4; 54; Cassius Dio 49, 12, 4; 50, 20, 3; among others
- ^ Appian, Civil Wars 4:50 ; Cassius Dio 54, 15, 4ff.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Aemilius Lepidus, Marcus |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Lepidus, Marcus Aemilius |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Member of the Roman Triumvirate |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1st century BC Chr. |
| DATE OF DEATH | 12 BC Chr. |