a Roman family, one of the most distinguished of the Emilian clan, whose names frequently occur in Roman history.

Marcus Æmilius Lepidus, was one of the three Roman ambassadors sent to the Egyptian court in 201 B.C., became one of the pontiffs in 199, was elected edile in 192, praetor in 191, and consul in 187. In 180 B.C. he was created pontifex maximus, in 179 censor, and in 175 elected consul a second time. After having been six times appointed *princeps senatus*, he died in 152 B.C.

Marcus Æmilius Lepidus Porcina, becoming consul in 137 B.C., waged war with the Vaccai in Spain, without the sanction of the senate, and for this offence was degraded from his proconsulship in 136 B.C. He was augur in 125 B.C.

Marcus Æmilius Lepidus, father of the triumvir, was praetor in Sicily in 81 B.C. In 79 B.C. he was the rival of Sulla for the consulship, and through the influence of Pompey was successful. Having raised an army for the purpose of overthrowing the aristocratic constitution established by Sulla, he was declared a public enemy by the senate in 77 B.C., and having been defeated and driven from Italy, he died shortly afterwards of a broken heart.

Lucius Æmilius Paulus, son of the preceding, accused Catiline in 63 B.C., was quaestor in Macedonia in 59 B.C., and endeavoured to effect the recall of Cicero from banishment in 57 B.C. He was edile in 55 B.C., and praetor in 53 B.C. Becoming consul in 50 B.C., he opposed the ambitious designs of Caesar, but a bribe from the latter changed his conduct. In 43 B.C., along with others of the senators, he declared his brother, the triumvir, a public enemy. He died soon afterwards.

Marcus Æmilius Lepidus, the triumvir, was appointed interrex in 52 B.C., for the purpose of holding the comitia. At the commencement of the civil war in 49 B.C., he espoused the cause of Caesar, who appointed him, in 48 B.C., proconsul of Hispania Citerior, and in 46 B.C. named him his colleague in the consulship. In 43 B.C., in concert with Octavian and Anthony, he formed the first triumvirate, which was renewed in 37 B.C., and dissolved in 36 B.C. by Lepidus being deprived of all power, and sent into private life. He died in 13 B.C.

Paulus Æmilius Lepidus, the son of L. Æmilius Paulus, and nephew of the triumvir, became consul in 34 B.C., and censor in 22 B.C., and died while holding the latter office.