Marcus Aemilius Lepidus Porcina was a

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...

of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

in 137 BC. In 125 BC Lepidus was an augur (a

divinatory Divination (from Latin ''divinare'', 'to foresee, to foretell, to predict, to prophesy') is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, standardized process or ritual. Used in various forms throughout histor ...

priest). In that year he was prosecuted by the

censors Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...

. According to

Velleius Paterculus Marcus Velleius Paterculus (; c. 19 BC – c. AD 31) was a Roman historian, soldier and senator. His Roman history, written in a highly rhetorical style, covered the period from the end of the Trojan War to AD 30, but is most useful for the per ...

, he was prosecuted by both censors, Gnaeus Servilius Caepio and

Lucius Cassius Longinus Ravilla Lucius Cassius Longinus Ravilla was a Roman politician. He served as consul in 127 BC and censor at the following lustrum in 125 BC. His first recorded office was that of tribune of the plebs in 137 BC. As a tribune of the plebs, he ...

, for extravagance in the rent of his house. He hired a house for a yearly rent of 6,000 ''asses''. According to

Valerius Maximus Valerius Maximus () was a 1st-century Latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes: ''Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX'' ("Nine books of memorable deeds and sayings", also known as ''De factis dictisque memorabilibus'' ...

, he was prosecuted by Lucius Cassius and punished with a fine by a court of the people for building too high a holiday home in the region of Alsium.

Command in Hispania Citerior

Lepidus was sent to Hispania Citerior during his consulship to replace his colleague

Gaius Hostilius Mancinus Gaius Hostilius Mancinus was a Roman consul in 137 BC. Due to his campaign against Numantia in northern Spain, Plutarch called him "not bad as a man, but most unfortunate of the Romans as a general." During this campaign in the Numantine War, Manci ...

, who was recalled to Rome and put on trial because he made a peace treaty with the Celtiberians during the

Numantine War The Numantine WarThe term Numantine War can refer to the whole conflict lasting from 154 to 133 or to just the latter part, from 143 to 133. Thus, the two conflicts are sometimes called the Numantine Wars (plural) and subdivided into the First an ...

(153-133), which was rejected by the senate. Lepidus did not wait for instructions from Rome and, according to Appian, tired of idleness and seeking glory, he resolved to make war upon the

Vaccaei The Vaccaei or Vaccei were a pre-Roman Celtic people of Spain, who inhabited the sedimentary plains of the central Duero valley, in the Meseta Central of northern Hispania (specifically in Castile and León). Their capital was ''Intercatia'' in P ...

, who were not at war with Rome, under the pretence of their having assisted

Numantia Numantia ( es, Numancia) is an ancient Celtiberian settlement, whose remains are located on a hill known as Cerro de la Muela in the current municipality of Garray ( Soria), Spain. Numantia is famous for its role in the Celtiberian Wars. In ...

. He persuaded Decimus Junius Brutus, the governor of

Hispania Ulterior Hispania Ulterior (English: "Further Hispania", or occasionally "Thither Hispania") was a region of Hispania during the Roman Republic, roughly located in Baetica and in the Guadalquivir valley of modern Spain and extending to all of Lusitania ( ...

and his brother-in-law, to join him. They ravaged the countryside and besieged Pallantia, the largest city of the Vaccaei. Lepidus and Brutus were reached by Cinna and Caecilius, two messengers from Rome "who said that the senate was at a loss to know why, after so many disasters had befallen on them in Spain, should he be seeking a new war." They warned him not to attack the Vaccaei. Lepidus sent the messengers back to Rome and wrote that it was too dangerous to abandon this war. Lepidus took advantage of the senate's ignorance of the situation and Brutus' involvement to continue his operations. Lepidus and Brutus begun to build siege machines and gather provisions. The siege was protracted and the Roman food supply failed. There was hunger and many soldiers and all the animals died. The two commanders persisted, but eventually had to give up. The Romans withdrew in a disorderly manner. They left everything behind, even the sick and wounded. The Vaccaei attacked their flanks and rear all day killing many Romans. This happened during Lepidus' proconsulship in 136 and, when the news reached Rome, Lepidus was stripped of his command and consulship. He got away with just a fine.

Oratory

Lepidus was a man of education and refined taste.

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...

, who had read his speeches, spoke of him as the greatest

orator An orator, or oratist, is a public speaker, especially one who is eloquent or skilled. Etymology Recorded in English c. 1374, with a meaning of "one who pleads or argues for a cause", from Anglo-French ''oratour'', Old French ''orateur'' (14th ...

of his age and says that he was the first who introduced in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

oratory the smooth and even flow of words which distinguished Greeks. He helped to form the style of

Tiberius Gracchus Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus ( 163 – 133 BC) was a Roman politician best known for his agrarian reform law entailing the transfer of land from the Roman state and wealthy landowners to poorer citizens. He had also served in the Roma ...

and Gaius Carbo, who were accustomed to listen to him with great care. Cicero mentioned Lepidus and his relatives among the Roman orators who "were little, if at all, inferior to the Greeks." He was, however, very deficient in a knowledge of law and Roman institutions.

Politics

In politics Lepidus seems to have belonged to the

optimates Optimates (; Latin for "best ones", ) and populares (; Latin for "supporters of the people", ) are labels applied to politicians, political groups, traditions, strategies, or ideologies in the late Roman Republic. There is "heated academic dis ...

, a conservative political faction which supported the interests of the aristocracy. During his consulship he supported the opposition by Marcus Antius Briso (a plebeian tribune) against a bill on the introduction of voting by secret ballot in the

Plebeian Council The ''Concilium Plebis'' ( English: Plebeian Council., Plebeian Assembly, People's Assembly or Council of the Plebs) was the principal assembly of the common people of the ancient Roman Republic. It functioned as a legislative/judicial assembly ...

(Lex Cassia Tabellaria) proposed by another plebeian tribune,

. This bill would free the plebeian voters from electoral pressure. However, on the advice of

Scipio Aemilianus Africanus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Aemilianus (185–129 BC), known as Scipio Aemilianus or Scipio Africanus the Younger, was a Roman general and statesman noted for his military exploits in the Third Punic War against Carthage and during the ...

, Brisio dropped his opposition and the bill was carried. It appears from a fragment of

Priscian Priscianus Caesariensis (), commonly known as Priscian ( or ), was a Latin grammarian and the author of the ''Institutes of Grammar'', which was the standard textbook for the study of Latin during the Middle Ages. It also provided the raw materia ...

, that Lepidus spoke in favour of a repeal of the lex Aemilia, which was probably the sumptuary law proposed by the consul Marcus Aemilius Scaurus in 115.Meyer, ''Orator''. 2nd. ed, Rom. Fragm., p. 193, &c. .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aemilius Lepidus Porcina, Marcus 2nd-century BC Roman augurs 2nd-century BC Roman consuls Porcina, Marcus