A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

948 DECIUS.
into prison without a judicial verdict. The enemies
of Decius asserted that he had been induced by
"bribes to bring forward this accusation. Four
years later, B. c. 115, Decius was praetor urbanus,
and in that year he gave great offence to M.
Aemilius Scaurus, who was then consul, by keeping his seat when the consul passed by him. The
haughty Scaurus turned round and ordered him to
rise, but when Decius refused, Scaurus tore his
gown and broke the chair of Decius to pieces; at
the same time he commanded that no one should
receive justice at the hands of the refractory
praetor. It is not improbable that the hostile
feeling between the two men may have arisen from
the fact that Scaurus had induced Opimius to take
up arms against C. Gracchus, to whose party
Decius evidently belonged. Cicero speaks of Decius
as an orator who emulated M. Fulvius Flaccus, the
fiiend of C. Gracchus, and remarks that he was
as turbulent in his speeches as he was in life. It
is probably this Decius who is alluded to in a
fragment of the poet Lucilius, which is preserved
by Cicero. (De Orat. ii. 62, comp. ii. 30, 31, Brut.
28, Part. orat. 30..)
5. P. DECIUS, a colleague of M. Antony in the
septemviratus. Cicero says of him, with a one
irony, that he endeavoured to follow the example
of his great ancestors (the Decii), by sacrificing
himself to his debts, that is, by joining Antony,
through whose influence he hoped to get rid of his
debts. He accompanied Antony in the war of
Mautina, but was taken prisoner there. Afterwards,
however, when Octavian wished for a reconciliation with Antony, he allowed Decius to return to
his friend. '(Cic. Phil. xi. 6, xiii. 13; Appian,
B. C. iii. 80.)
6. DECIUS, is mentioned by Appian (B. C. iv.
27) among those who were proscribed after the
formation of the triumvirate of Antony, Octavian,
and Lepidus. Decius and Cilo, on hearing that
their names were on the list, took to flight, but as
they were hurrying out of one of the gates of
Rome, they were recognized by the centurions and
put to death. [L. S.]
DE'CIUS JUBE'LLIUS, a Campanian, and
commander of the Campanian legion which the
Romans stationed at Rhegium in n. c. 281 for the
protection of the place. Decius and his troops,
envious of the happiness which the inhabitants of
Rhegium enjoyed, and remembering the impunity
with which the Mamertines had carried out their
disgraceful scheme, formed a most diabolical plan.
During the celebration of a festival, while all the
citizens were feasting in public, Decius and his
soldiers attacked them; the men were massacred
and driven into exile, while the. soldiers took the
women to themselves. Decius put himself at the
head of the city, acted as tyrannus perfectly independent of Rome, and formed connexions with the
Mamertines in Sicily. He at first had endeavoured
to palliate his crime by asserting that the Rhegines
intended to betray the Roman garrison to Pyrrhus.
During the war with Pyrrhus the Romans had no
time to look after and punish the miscreants at
Rhegium, and Decius for some years enjoyed the
fruits of his crime unmolested. During that period
he was seized by a disease of the eyes, and not
venturing to trust a Rhegine physician, he sent for
one to Messana. This physician was himself a
native of lRhegium, a fact which few persons knew,
and he now took the opportunity to avenge on

DECIUS.
Decius the wrongs he had inflicted upon Rhegiuni.
He gave him something which he was to apply to
* his eyes, and which, however painful it might be,
i he was to continue till the physician should
return from Messana. The order was obeyed,
but the pain became at last quite unbearable,
and Decius in the end found that he was quite
Sblind. After the death of Pyrrhus, in 3. c. 271,
SFabricius was sent out against Rhegium; he bet sieged the place, and took it. All the survivors of
[ the Campanian legion that fell into his hands, upwards of three hundred men, were sent to Rome,
where they were scourged and beheaded in the
L forum. The citizens of Rhegium who were yet
alive were restored to their native place. Decius
put an end to himself in his prison at Rome. (Appian, Samnit. Excerpt. ix. 1-3; Diodor. Fragm.
lib. xxii.; Liv. Epit. 12, 15; Polyb. i. 7; Val.
Max. vii. 7. ~ 15.) [L. S.]
DE'CIUS, Roman emperor, A.D. 249-251,
whose full name was C. MESSIUS QUINTUS
TRAJANUS DECIUS, was born about the close
of the second century at Bubalia, a village in
Lower Pannonia, being the first of a long series
of monarchs who traced their origin to an Illyrian stock. We are altogether unacquainted with
his early career, but lie appears to have been
entrusted with an important military command
upon the Danube in A.D. 245, and four years
afterwards was earnestly solicited by Philippus
to undertake the task of restoring subordination
in the army of Moesia, which had been disorganized by the revolt of Marinus. [PHILIPPUS;
MARINUS.] Decius accepted this appointment
with great reluctance, and many misgivings as to
the result. On his appearance, the troops deeming their guilt beyond forgiveness, offered the
envoy the choice of death or of the throne. With
the sword pointed to his heart he accepted the
latter alternative, was proclaimed Augustus, and
forced by the rebels to march upon Italy, having
previously, according to Zonaras, written to assure his sovereign that his faith was still unbroken, and that he would resign the purple, as
soon as he could escape from the thraldom of the
legions. Philippus, not trusting these professions,
hastened to meet his rival in the field, encountered
him in the vicinity of Verona, was defeated, and
slain. This event took place towards the end of
A.D. 249.
The short reign of the new prince, extending
to about thirty months, was chiefly occupied in
warring against the Goths, who now, for the first
time, appeared as a formidable foe on the northeastern frontier, and having crossed the Danube,
under Cniva their chief, were ravaging the
Thracian provinces. The details of their invasion are to found in Jornandes, Zosimus, and
the fragments of Dexippus, but these accounts appear so contradictory, that it is impossible, in the
absence of an impartial historian, to explain or reconcile their statements. It would seem that the
barbarians, in the first instance, repulsed Decius
near Philippopolis, and were thus enabled to take
that important city, but having lost their best
troops during these operations, and finding themselves surrounded by the Romans who were now
advancing from different points, they offered to
purchase an unmolested retreat by the surrender
of their prisoners and plunder. These overtures
being rejected, the Goths turned to bay, and gave