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After the death of Julius Caesar, three of his closest allies, Octavian (the future Emperor Augustus), Mark Antony and Lepidus, formed a triumvirate to govern the Roman territory together. Lepidus, the least known of the three, governed North Africa.
Context
While Julius Caesar had several children from different women, he had no legitimate heir according to Roman law. Shortly before he died, he invited Cleopatra of Egypt to Rome, with their son Caesarion. He probably intended to make Caesarion his heir, but he didn’t have time: he was assassinated on 15 March 44.
After his death, his close ally Mark Antony and his adoptive son Octavian allied themselves to fight his murderers. After their victory, they were threatening to fight each other for power. To avoid a new civil war, they formed a triumvirate (trium viri, power of three men), together with another Roman politician: Lepidus, a former ally of Caesar. The three men decided to divide the Roman territory between themselves. Lepidus governed Africa and Numidia as proconsul.
Lepidus in Africa
Lepidus, who knew he wasn’t powerful enough to face the other triumvirs, stayed away from the conflicts between Octavian and Mark Antony. In 41, Octavian charged Lepidus with defending Rome against an attack by Lucius Antonius, Mark Antony’s brother. Lucius Antonius, at the head of a more numerous military force, took the city easily. Lepidus was forced to flee to Octavian’s camp.
After these events, Mark Antony entrusted Lepidus six legions to accompany him to Africa. Lepidus retired with his legions, and no longer played a role in Roman politics: he was content with governing Africa.
During his proconsulate, Lepidus encouraged land distribution in Africa to Roman army veterans, in order to build himself a network of clients. He also awarded Roman citizenship to many families of the local elite. Laetus, the murderer of Emperor Commodus, was from an African family that had obtained Roman citizenship from Lepidus.
In the newly rebuilt Roman city of Carthage, Lepidus opposed illicit extensions and saw to it that no constructions were made on the site of the ancient city.
Lepidus also encouraged the Romanization of the Numidian city of Thibilis (Sellaoua Announa, wilaya of Guelma, modern-day Algeria).
In 36, Sextus Pompey, the son of Caesar’s former rival Pompey, revolted against the triumvirs in Sicily. Lepidus sent troops to fight him. After Sextus Pompey’s defeat, Octavian and Lepidus disputed each other the control of the island. Octavian used this as a pretext to sideline Lepidus and end his power. Lepidus returned to Rome, where he ended his life in anonymity.
Later on
In September 31, Octavian and Mark Antony’s fleets fought at sea, at the Battle of Actium. This battle was a decisive victory for Octavius: Mark Antony’s fleet, the largest in Roman history, was entirely destroyed. Mark Antony and his lover Cleopatra of Egypt fled to Alexandria, where they killed themselves shortly after.
Four years later, in 27, Octavian proclaimed the foundation of the Roman Empire and became its first Emperor, under the name of Augustus.
