Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, or just Lepidus, was a Roman general and political ally of Gaius Julius Caesar and was apparently atleast competent on both of those fronts. He allied with Mark Antony after Caesar’s death and later formed the Second Triumvirate with Antony and Octavian, Caesar’s nephew/adopted heir. It’s here that Lepidus made his biggest mistake, giving most of the legions loyal to him to Octavian and Antony who would go on to fight Brutus while Lepidus stayed back in Hispania (his governed province) and remain should Antony and Octavian fail and need to retreat. As history remembers they did not fail, and lacking the armies to carry his ambition was forced into a subordinate position between Antony and Octavian.

After the Battle of Philipi, where Brutus was defeated and killed, the Second Triumvirate divided up the Republic into their spheres of influence. Italy proper would be jointly occupied by the Trimvurate. Mark Antony would control Greece, Asia Minor, and Syria. Octavian would be granted control of Iberia and Gaul. As for Lepidus? He was given Africa, a wealthy but ultimately politically isolated province. Lepidus would spend the rest of his time during the Second Ttimvurate governing Africa while Octavian and Mark Antony duked it out over who would succeed Caesar until Lepidus would eventually be removed from power by Octavian in 36 BC, though he was allowed to live and participate in politics.

What’s funny is that for whatever reason, every historical account or cultural story involving Lepidus often portrayed him as this pathetic, indecisive, fickle, disloyal and ignoble man often belittled be nearly everyone around him. It’s likely much of this is due to political propaganda pushed by his contemporary rivals which lived on as historical fact, but the sheer scale implies Lepidus was just generally disliked by everyone around him. He was a blatant opportunist who lacked the cunning to seize his ambitions or the Charisma to make himself look good, and betrayed pretty much everything and everyone at some point to a degree that even Octavian when he became Augustus belittled and mocked him openly. A man so insignificant he wasn’t even worth killing as a threat to the victors rule.