Lepidus: The Forgotten Triumvir

[Curtisimo]

Roman Republic
Lepidus, The Second Triumvirate 
AR Denarius, Military mint in Italy, spring-summer 42 BC
(17 mm, 3.56g, 9h)
Obv.: [LEPID]VS · PONT · MAX · [III · V · R · P · C] around bare head of Lepidus right.
Rev.: [C ·] CAESAR · IMP [· III · VIR · R · P · C] around bare head of Octavian right.
Ref.: Ghey 311 (this coin); Craw. 495/2; BMCRR Africa 30-31; RSC 2; Sear 140
Ex Helmingham Hall Hoard (Discovered September 2019), Noonan’s Auction 303, lot 138 (September 18, 2024)

A Fascinating Coin
This coin was struck in the summer of 42 BC, shortly after the formation of the so-called Second Triumvirate. It was very likely struck with the proceeds gained from the infamous proscription that killed Cicero. Shockingly, Lepidus allowed his own brother to be proscribed in this same proscription. The coin was probably struck to fund the expeditions undertaken by the triumvirs against Caesars’s assassins.

This was the only issue struck by Lepidus during the triumvirate and therefore it is the only issue that has his portrait. As such, this type is not very common and is extremely uncommon in great condition. I was very pleased to win this example that has a solid portrait for the type. It also has “PONT MX” (Pontifex Maximus) visible in the legend. This is relevant because it is possible that the fact that Lepidus held this office may have saved his life later on.

Lepidus, a Feckless Fellow?
Lepidus is often depicted, if he is depicted at all, as a minor or even a contemptible figure. This is the sense that I got from watching HBO’s fantastic series “Rome”. At the same time, he must have been seen at the time as a major player or else he would not have been chosen to participate in the triumvirate. Before Julius Caesar’s assassination, he was serving as Magister Equitum, which made him the second in command of the army after Caesar. He was the person who brought troops into the city to restore order after the assassination. He was also chosen to replace Caesar as Pontifex Maximus.

In 43 BC when the triumvirate was formed, Lepidus received the second best provinces in the agreement after Antony. This seems to indicate that at that time, Octavian, and not Lepidus, was perceived as the weakest member of the trio. However, It was at this point that Lepidus made a fatal mistake. He agreed to stay in Rome and to hand over 7 of his 10 legions to Antony and Octavian so they could press ahead with the war against the Liberators. Once the two of them were victorious, they reworked the original settlement to their liking and there was nothing that Lepidus could do about it from his weakened military position. Octavian relegated him to a subordinate role in North Africa, possibly as a means to counter and distract Sextus Pompey in Sicily.

After Sextus Pompey was defeated, Lepidus made a play to assert the authority he still had on paper as a member of the triumvirate by claiming Sicily as his own. However, his legions refused to support him and defected en mass to Octavian. He was formally stripped of his authority as a triumvir and forced into retirement. The fact that he was still Pontifex Maximus may have saved his life. At the time, Octavian was striving to rebrand himself as a champion of tradition and he may have been hesitant to publicly execute the head of the Roman religion. Octavian waited patiently until Lepidus died of natural causes over two decades later to accept the office for himself.

I think Lepidus must have been a formidable figure early in his career but some of his actions seem to lend support to the idea of him as a feckless leader. Examples of this include the way he allowed his brother to be proscribed by his colleagues, the way he displayed extreme naïveté in handing over his legions, and his inability to get his troops to consistently follow him.

A Fascinating Provenance
This coin came from the recently auctioned Helmingham Hall Hoard that was discovered in 2019- 2021. The contents of the hoard suggest it was buried in AD 47 during the reign of Claudius. In that same year, Tacitus records a revolt by the Iceni tribe. The location of the hoard was along the Roman road between the main stronghold of the Iceni at Stonea Camp and the headquarters of Legio XX at Camulodunum. This suggests that it may have been buried by a legionnaire on his way to suppress the revolt. The fact that it was never retrieved may indicate that this soldier did not survive the battle.

Helmigham Hall (Wikimedia Commons)

Please post your. 

• Coins of Lepidus
• Coins of the Triumvirs
• Coins of the Liberators 
• Coins that you feel are relevant

 

Edited December 14, 2024 by Curtisimo

[Deinomenid]

24 minutes ago, Curtisimo said:

Coins that you feel are relevant

From the same hoard -

British Iron Age, CATUVELLAUNI, Cunobelin, AD 8-41, Stater, Classic A Arc Stem type [Class 7c], c·a m[–] divided by ear of barley with five pairs of grains, downwards turned arc below stem, rev. cvn[–] below, horse prancing right with fine pellet mane, branch above, 5.56g/11h (Ghey 15, this coin; Sills O82/R140; ABC –). Good very fine, well struck on rosy gold; the horse of strong classical style

[Sulla80]

A wonderful coin and great writeup @Curtisimo!  Here is my one of my favorite coins of Lepidus, from his time as triumvir monetalis in 61 BC.

more here: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/lepidus-as-moneyer

Edited December 14, 2024 by Sulla80

[Alegandron]

Agreed with your comments, @Curtisimo ! Lepidus was not a lackey…

 

LEPIDUS

Personally, I feel this was worn by a retired Legionary under Lepidus... (A Triumvir)


RImp Spain Lepida-Clesa Lepidus 44-36BCE C Balbus L Porcius Colonia Victrix Ivlia Lepida Victory - Bull holed RPI 262 plate 19

 

Lepidus & Mark Antony.
43 B.C. AR quinarius (13.93 mm, 1.82 g, 5 h).
Military mint traveling with Antony and Lepidus in Transalpine Gaul, 43 B.C. M ANT IMP, emblems of the augurate;
lituus, capis, and raven standing left / LEP IMP, emblems of the pontificate: simpulum, aspergillum, securis, and apex.
Crawford 489/3; CRI 120; Sydenham 1158a; RSC 3. aVF. Scarce
Ex: RBW Collection
 

Lepidus’ family was pretty prominent

RR Aemilius Lepidus Paullus 62 BCE Concordia Perseus Macedon captive Sear 366 Craw 415-1

He was a grandson of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus and Appuleia through their son Lucius Aemilius Paullus and his wife. His paternal uncle Marcus Aemilius Lepidus served as a member of the Second Triumvirate. He was named an augur in 35 BCE.^[3] Paullus served as consul in 34 BC and censor in 22.^[2]Paullus

[Ryro]

Very interesting character of the late republic. I one won a coin of his at auction, only to have the auction house say that the coin wasn't available. Womp, womp.

I do have this enigmatic celtic piece that may be of the 3 triumvirs, or maybe even Geryon, the 3 headed monster Herakles takes on in his 10th labor. 

Celtic BELGIUM GAUL, Remi, AE bronze, after 52 BC. AD D/ Three triumvirs (?) Geryon (?) R/ Biga leads to left, by Victory, below, REMO. Scheers, Treatise, 519-520; Scheers, Dan., 333; L.T. 8040; Scheers, Lyons, 1010-1011; DT 593. 3.34g Short blank. Green patina.

Unearthed Oct 2022 Burgundy region of France

The interpretation of the type of law is questionable. Several hypotheses have been proposed. It could be the representation of the three Gauls, the three peoples subject to the Remi, the three heads of Mercury, the three-headed god Geryon or even the triumvirs Antoine, Lépide and Octave.

Edited December 14, 2024 by Ryro

[jdmKY]

Lepidus and Antony, 43 BC

Lepidus, Antipolis, 44-43 BC

[CPK]

Great coin and interesting writeup @Curtisimo! Thanks for posting.

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I concur.  I'm missing Lepidus from my collection, so I have nothing to share.  The provenance also is very interesting.

[Operator1997]

Helmingham Hall is my 57th Wikipedia article creation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmingham_Hall_Hoard

As soon as it hit the news, I knew I had to document it's significance.

[Qcumbor]

Excellent writeup and fabulous provenance @Curtisimo for a very sought after coin type. Thanks for sharing

The betrayed brother

L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus, Denarius - Rome mint, 62 BC
PAVLLUS LEPIDVS [CONCORDIA] diademed and draped bust of concordia right
Trophy with Lepidus Paullus on the right and three captives on the left (king Perseus of Macedon and his sons). TER above and PAVLLVS at exergue
4.00 gr
Ref : RCV # 366, RSC, Aemilia # 10

 

The feckless traitor :

Lepidus and Octavian, Denarius - uncertain mint in Italy, 42 BCE
LEPIDVS.PONT.MAX.III.V.R.P.C, bare head of Lepidus right (NT and MA in monograms)
C.CAESAR.IMPIII.VIR.R.P.C, bare head of Octavian right (MP in monogram)
3.78 gr
Ref : HCRI # 140, RCV # 1523, Cohen # 2

 

And his fellows triumvirs

Marcus Antonius and Octavian, Denarius - Uncertain mint in Asia minor c.41 BCE
M ANT IMP AVG III RPCM BARBAT QP, Bare head of Marcus Antonius right
CAESAR IMP PONT III VIR RPC, Bare head of Octavian right
3.62 gr
Ref : HCRI # 243, RCV #1504, Cohen #8

Q

[antwerpen2306]

my Lepidus coin :

20 x 18 mm , 3,5 gr , as 12 uur - Cr495/2d.

@Curtisimo very interesting

@Qcumbor beautiful coin, you are making me jealous 😄