Quintus Aemilius Lepidus

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Quintus Aemilius Lepidus (possibly Quintus Aemilius Lepidus Barbula) (fl. 1st century BC) was a Roman senator and military officer who was appointed consul in 21 BC as the colleague of Marcus Lollius.

Contents

Biography

Quintus Aemilius Lepidus was a member of the Patrician gens Aemilia and the son of Manius Aemilius Lepidus, who was consul in 66 BC. He was a supporter of Marcus Antonius.

It is assumed that Quintus Aemilius Lepidus was the “Barbula” referred to in Appian’s Civil Wars. [1] In it, Appian recounts that a certain Marcus (assumed to be Marcus Lollius) was a legate of Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger who, after the Battle of Philippi, had been proscribed. Hiding as a slave, he was purchased by Lepidus, whose identity was then revealed by a friend in Rome. Lepidus went to Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, who interceded on his behalf with Octavianus, who then ensured that Lollius’ name was removed from the proscription lists. [2]

Around 40-38 BC, Lepidus was a Monetalis for Marcus Antonius in Pergamum, minting cistophori on behalf of Antony. Then, in 31 BC, he fought alongside Antony at the Battle of Actium but was captured. He was released only when Marcus Lollius interceded for him before Octavianus, thereby returning the favour. [3]

In the year 21 BC, a second consular position was made available after Augustus decided not to nominate anyone for the office. After a bitter and rancorous election and lengthy disputes with his only competitor, Lucius Junius Silanus, which reached the point that many people were asking for Augustus to return to put an end to it, Lepidus was elected consul, serving alongside his old friend Marcus Lollius. Together, they oversaw the restoration of the Pons Fabricius, one of the bridges that spanned the Tiber River, which had been damaged in the floods of the year before. [4]

Lepidus is recorded as one of the Quindecimviri sacris faciundis who was part of the quorum which participated in the Secular Games of 17 BC; he was probably a member of this group during the civil wars. Finally in about 15 BC, he was the proconsular governor of Asia. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

40s BC

This article concerns the period 49 BC – 40 BC.

Second Triumvirate Ancient Roman political alliance

The Second Triumvirate was a political alliance formed after the Roman dictator Julius Caesar's assassination, between Caesar's three most important supporters: Octavian, Mark Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. The triumvirate for organizing the republic, as it was formally known, ruled the Roman Republic essentially as a military dictatorship, with each of the triumvirs assuming charge of an individual set of provinces. Unlike the earlier First Triumvirate, the Second was an official, legally established institution, whose overwhelming power in the Roman state was given full legal sanction and whose imperium maius outranked that of all other magistrates, including the consuls.

Aemilia gens Ancient Roman family

The gens Aemilia, originally written Aimilia, was one of the greatest patrician families at ancient Rome. The gens was of great antiquity, and claimed descent from Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome. Its members held the highest offices of the state, from the early decades of the Republic to imperial times. The Aemilii were almost certainly one of the gentes maiores, the most important of the patrician families. Their name was associated with two major roads, an administrative region of Italy, and the Basilica Aemilia at Rome.

Junia gens Ancient Roman family

The gens Junia was one of the most celebrated families of ancient Rome. The gens may originally have been patrician, and was already prominent in the last days of the Roman monarchy. Lucius Junius Brutus was the nephew of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the seventh and last King of Rome, and on the expulsion of Tarquin in 509 BC, he became one of the first consuls of the Roman Republic.

Marcus Aemilius Lepidus was a Roman statesman and general. After the death of Lucius Cornelius Sulla, he joined or instigated a rebellion against the government established by Lucius Cornelius Sulla, demanding a consecutive term as consul late in his year and – when refused – marching on Rome. Lepidus' forces were defeated in a battle near the Milvian Bridge and he fled to Sardinia. He was the father of the triumvir Marcus Aemilius Lepidus and of one of the consuls for 50 BC Lucius Aemilius Lepidus Paullus.

Quintus Pedius was a Roman who lived during the late Republic, and, early Empire. He was the son of a Marcus or Quintus Pedius, and a nephew or grandnephew of the dictator Julius Caesar, by one of his sisters.

Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus was consul of the Roman Republic in 43 BC. Although supporting Gaius Julius Caesar during the Civil War, he pushed for the restoration of the Republic upon Caesar’s death. He died of injuries sustained at the Battle of Forum Gallorum.

Marcus Lollius perhaps with the cognomen Paulinus was a Roman politician, military officer and supporter of the first Roman emperor Augustus.

Manius Aemilius Lepidus was a Roman politician who became consul in 66 BC alongside Lucius Volcatius Tullus.

Marcus Cocceius Nerva was consul of the Roman Republic in 36 BC, together with Lucius Gellius Poplicola. His family were of Umbrian origin and were supporters of Marcus Antonius, providing him with a number of generals and diplomats.

Gaius Norbanus Flaccus was a Roman politician and general during the 1st century BC.

Mamercus Aemilius Lepidus Livianus was a Roman politician and military commander who was consul in 77 BC.

Hortensia, daughter of consul and advocate Quintus Hortensius Hortalus, earned renown during the late Roman Republic as a skilled orator. She is best known for giving a speech in front of the members of the Second Triumvirate in 42 BC that resulted in the partial repeal of a tax on wealthy Roman women.

Lucius Sempronius Atratinus was a Roman politician who was elected suffect consul in 34 BC. He is mentioned in Pro Caelio, a famous speech in defense of Marcus Caelius Rufus by Marcus Tullius Cicero.

Marcus Junius D. f. M. n. Silanus was a Roman senator and consul in 25 BC as the colleague of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, the emperor Augustus.

Gaius Antistius Vetus was a Roman politician and general who was consul suffectus in 30 BC as the colleague of Augustus, succeeding Marcus Licinius Crassus.

Appius Claudius Pulcher was a Roman politician. An early supporter of Augustus, he was elected consul in 38 BC.

Decimus Junius Brutus was a Roman politician who was elected consul in 77 BC.

Gaius Fonteius Capito was a Roman senator who was appointed suffect consul in 33 BC.

References

  1. ↑ Broughton III, pg. 8
  2. ↑ Broughton II, pg. 365
  3. ↑ Appian, Civil Wars, 4:49
  4. ↑ Syme, pgs. 41-42
  5. ↑ Syme, pg. 43

Sources

Political offices
Preceded by
Marcus Claudius Marcellus Aeserninus,
and Lucius Arruntius 		Consul of the Roman Empire
21 BC
with Marcus Lollius 		Succeeded by
Marcus Appuleius,
and Publius Silius Nerva
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.