The father of the Lepidus, who was a member of the Second Triumvirate, he
shifted political sides for his own benefit.
M. Aemilius Lepidus was a noble, who gained his wealth during the proscriptions of
Sulla and through his praetorship in Sicily in 80 BCE. He ran for consul in 79 BCE with the support of Pompey. His program included plans that would prove beneficial for the common man. He later attempted to incite an uprising against his fellow consul,
Q. Catulus. When he attempted to march on Rome, he was repelled by Catulus at the Milvian Bridge. His son (who had the same name) later played a crucial role in history, forming one third of the Second Triumvirate with Antony and Octavian.