Decius

Trajan Decius (Latin: Caesar Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius Augustus; c. 201 – June 251), was Roman Emperor from 249 to 251. In the last year of his reign, he co-ruled with his son Herennius Etruscus until they were both killed in the Battle of Abritus.

Early life and rise to power

Decius, who was born at Budalia, near Sirmium in Pannonia Inferior (now Martinci and Sremska Mitrovica in Serbia), was one of the first among a long succession of future Roman Emperors to originate from the Danube provinces, often simply called Illyricum. Unlike some of his immediate imperial predecessors such as Philip the Arab or Maximinus who did not have extensive administrative experience before assuming the throne, Decius was a distinguished senator who had served as consul in 232, had been governor of Moesia and Germania Inferior soon afterwards, served as governor of Hispania Tarraconensis between 235–238, and was urban prefect of Rome during the early reign of Emperor Philip the Arab (Marcus Iulius Phillippus).

Decius (disambiguation)

Decius was the 3rd-century emperor.

Decius may also refer to:

Decia (gens)

The gens Decia was a plebeian family of high antiquity, which became illustrious in Roman history by two of its members sacrificing themselves for the preservation of their country. The first of the family known to history was Marcus Decius, chosen as a representative of the plebeians during the secession of 495 BC.

Origin

Decius is the Latin form of the Oscan praenomen Dekis, or its gentile equivalent, Dekiis. The praenomen itself is the Oscan equivalent of the Latin name Decimus, and thus the nomen Decius is cognate with the Latin Decimius. From this it may be supposed that the Decii were of Oscan extraction, perhaps arising from the Sabine portion of Rome's original inhabitants. In any event, they were already at Rome in the earliest years of the Republic, as one of them was chosen to represent the plebeians during the first secession in 495 BC.

Praenomina used

The praenomina associated with the Decii are Marcus, Publius, and Quintus, of which Publius is the most famous, due to its association with the two consuls who devoted themselves to obtain victory for the soldiers under their command.

Decius (consul 529)

Flavius Decius (floruit 529-546) was a politician of the Eastern Roman Empire. A member of the Decia gens, he was appointed Consul Ordinarius for 529 without colleague.

Decius was the son of Basilius Venantius (consul in 508), and brother of Decius Paulinus (consul in 534); according to Alan Cameron and Diane Schauer, Decius had at least further brother who was appointed to the consulate.

In December 546 Decius is attested as patricius in Rome. That same month, when the King of the Ostrogoths Totila overcame the Byzantine defences and entered the city, Decius along with Rufius Petronius Nicomachus Cethegus, the president of the Senate (who had been consul in 504), and Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius (who had been consul in 541) fled Rome with general Bessas.

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