The Third Man: Marcus Aemilius Lepidus and the Collapse of the Triumvirate
In the shadow of the titanic struggle between Mark Antony and Octavian, history often forgets the third member of the Second Triumvirate: Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. Though frequently dismissed as a “pawn” or a “slight unmeritable man” (as Shakespeare’s Antony called him), Lepidus was a pivotal figure whose military resources and religious authority were essential to the survival of the Caesarean faction.
The Rise of a Master of Horse
Lepidus was a blue-blooded aristocrat from one of Rome’s most ancient families. His rise to power was cemented by his unwavering loyalty to Julius Caesar. When Caesar crossed the Rubicon, Lepidus remained in Rome as his deputy, and by 44 BC, he held the position of Magister Equitum (Master of the Horse)—effectively the dictator’s second-in-command.
On the night of Caesar’s assassination, Lepidus was the only leader with an armed force inside the city. He advocated for immediate military action against the conspirators, but ultimately deferred to Antony’s more diplomatic approach.
The Formation of the Triumvirate (43 BC)
After the Battle of Mutina, when the Senate attempted to play the Caesarean leaders against each other, Lepidus acted as the broker of peace. He facilitated the meeting between himself, Antony, and Octavian on an island near Bononia.
Together, they formed the Second Triumvirate—a formal legal commission “for the Restoration of the Republic.” While Antony and Octavian took the lion’s share of glory and territory, Lepidus provided the necessary legitimacy. He was also the Pontifex Maximus (Chief Priest of Rome), a title he had assumed after Caesar’s death and held for the rest of his life.
The African Governor and the Title of Imperator
As the Triumvirate evolved, Lepidus was increasingly sidelined. While Antony and Octavian fought at Philippi, Lepidus remained in Rome to maintain order. Later, he was relegated to the governorship of Africa (modern-day Tunisia and Libya).
Despite his perceived weakness, Lepidus was an effective administrator and a competent general. During his time in Africa, he managed to stabilize the province and suppress local unrest. His troops hailed him as Imperator—a title he proudly displayed on his coinage to signal that he was still a military force to be reckoned with.
The Sicilian Crisis and the Fall (36 BC)
Lepidus’s final bid for power occurred during the war against Sextus Pompey in Sicily. Lepidus arrived with a massive force of 12 legions and 5,000 cavalry to assist Octavian. After Sextus was defeated, Lepidus felt he had been treated as a subordinate for too long. He demanded that Sicily be added to his domains and ordered Octavian to leave the island.
It was a fatal miscalculation. Octavian, showing the political ruthlessness that would make him Augustus, walked alone into Lepidus’s camp. He appealed directly to the soldiers, who were tired of civil war and saw Octavian as the more promising leader. Lepidus’s legions defected on the spot.
A Quiet Exile
In a rare moment of clemency, Octavian did not execute Lepidus. Instead, he stripped him of his Triumviral powers and his provinces but allowed him to remain Pontifex Maximus. Lepidus was exiled to the coastal town of Circeii, where he lived in forced retirement for the next 23 years.
Legacy: The Survivor
Lepidus died of natural causes in 12 BC. While Antony died by suicide and Octavian became the sole master of the world, Lepidus represents a different path through the Roman Revolution. He was the man who held the Republic together when it was most fragile, only to be discarded when the era of shared power ended and the era of the Emperors began.