ABSTRACT

Lepidus’ activities at the time of Caesar’s assassination on the Ides of March are not entirely clear. Plutarch believed that both Lepidus and Mark Antony were present at the Senate meeting in the Theater of Pompey and that they fled for protection to friends’ houses when they witnessed the murder, naturally fearing for their own lives.1

Although Antony’s presence is attested to by other sources, which state that the conspirators purposely stationed Trebonius outside the entrance to detain him in conversation while the deed was committed, both Dio Cassius and Appian place Lepidus away from the scene. Dio reports that Lepidus was conducting military drills in the suburbs at the time of the murder.2 Appian says that Lepidus was in the forum when he learned of the incident.3 These accounts sound more plausible because Lepidus as magister equitum could quite naturally have been drilling troops in preparation for the dictator’s imminent departure for Parthia. Lepidus would then have been informed of the murder upon his return to the city. Both Dio Cassius and Appian credit Lepidus with decisive action at this critical point. Appian says that Lepidus reacted by going immediately to the Tiber island, where he had a legion stationed, and transferring these soldiers to the Campus Martius, where they were instructed to await further orders.4 Dio reports that Lepidus occupied the forum that night with his soldiers.5 Lepidus’ movement of troops into strategic areas played a vital role in stabilizing a chaotic situation and in determining its ultimate outcome.