During the Social War Lepidus fought in northern Italy under Pompeius Strabo, who was consul in 89 BC. He was probably aedile while Sulla was in Greece fighting the First Mithridatic War. In 82 BC, during Sulla's second civil war, he fought for Sulla. Some time during Sulla's dictatorship, he held the praetorship. He captured Norba, in Latium, which had sided with Sulla's enemies. Appian wrote that after a long resistance, he was let in the town by treachery. This usually happened when a town could no longer endure a siege. Angered by the betrayal, some inhabitants killed themselves and some set fire to the town.