When it comes to Roman history, many of us are familiar with famous characters such as: Caesar, Marc Antony or Brutus. But what about Marcus Lepidus who existed at the same era and was somehow related to the aforementioned characters?
English classic historical writer Alfred Duggan (1903-1964) breathes life to Marcus Lepidus in his novel Three’s Company (1958). Lepidus was always linked to politics: his father was a consul who led an unsuccessful rebellion and died in exile, while his wife Junia Secunda was half-sister of Marcus Brutus, the man famously known for assassinating Julius Caesar.
Lepidus was a praetor who was promoted by Caesar to a proconsul governing the eastern parts of Spain and bestowed with the title of Master of the Horse. After the assassination of Caesar, he along with Marc Anthony and Caesar’s great-nephew Octavian Caesar (later known as Augustus) formed the Second Triumvirate by which they took control of the organisation of the Republic.
This period was marked by wars against those who opposed them (Sextus Pompey) and against the assassins of Caesar (Brutus and Cassius). Moreover, it was known for the proscriptions, where the oppositions of Caesar where assassinated- most famously Cicero.
With no military background, Lepidus was the least known and liked from the three triumvirs. Nevertheless, he was confirmed a Pontifex Maximus and ruled Rome while the other two went to war in different parts of the empire. He was given the governing of Africa where he distributed lands to veteran soldiers to help Romanize the place.
However, Lepidus fell from power after the Sicilian Revolt where he and Octavian disputed over who controls Sicily. Although Lepidus was the one who was stationed first on the island and captured the main towns with his 14 legions, yet when problems surfaced between the two, his soldiers deserted him to join Octavian as many fought under his great-uncle, Caesar.
Octavian seized the chance and removed Lepidus from power, stripping him from all posts except the Pontifex Maximus and sent him into exile in Cercio. Lepidus’s son Marcus Lepidus Minor became involved in an assassination attempt on Octavian and was executed, while his mother Junia was implicated but granted bail.
This is the summary of Lepidus’s tragic life that Duggan explores and interestingly represents to the reader. Lepidus is a figure that was represented in many literary works most famously by Shakespeare in Julius Caesar and Anthony and Cleopatra, where he’s either “a slight, unmeritable man” or an incoherent drunk.
In Voltaire’s Le Triumvirate he’s referred to as “a pawn, merely used by Antony and Octavian”. These variant views could be the result of an ancient propaganda set by his opponents Augustus and Cicero. However, Duggan’s Lepidus is traditional and conservative.
His rigid political views and lack of military experience — as well as the age gap — complicates his relationship with the other two younger triumvirs. Within the narrative, Lepidus’s self-centred thoughts and narrow perspective of the world surrounding him are reflected through his haughty attitude and condescending tone, which makes it funny occasionally yet gains him the reader’s sympathy.
A reviewer at the time of publication described him as: “without the moral strength to live by the traditional virtues he admires and pretends to possess”. Duggan not only thoroughly researches Roman history and represents it in a manner easily grasped by the reader, but also paints a clear picture of the Roman life at the time from politics to culture and practices. According to Rex Warner: “Three’s Company is a most competent piece of work, scholarly, alive and suggestive”. A gripping novel for ancient history fans.
Rasha al Raisi is a certified skills trainer and the author of: The World According to Bahja. rashabooks@yahoo.com
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