DEC
t no ]
DEC
nomy, an eleventh Commandment, to build an Altar on Mount Gerizim, &c. But 'tis apparently an Inter- polation, to authorize their having a Temple and an Altar on that Mountain, and to difcredit, if poflible, the Temple at Jerufalem, and the Worfhip there per- form'd. It mud be added, however, that, tho' all, both Jews and Chriftians, agree in the Number of ten
Confuls. One among them had all the Enfigns and Honours of the Function ; and the reft had the like in their Turn during the Year of the Decemvirat. 'Twas the De- cemvirs drew up the Law of the Twelve Tables call'd thence the Leges Decemvirales, which for a confider- able Time were the whole of the Roman Law. I„ ,]„, Tear 302, the Confuls Afpius Claudius Craffiuius and
Commandments; there is fome Difference as to the T. Geaucius Augurinus, were oblig'd to abdicate .' upon
Manner of dividing them.
The P'ljalimidifts, and Poftellus after them, in his Trcatife, lie Phitnicum Literis, fay, that the Deca- logue or Ten Commandments, were engraven quite through the Tables which God gave to Mofes ; and that notwithfranding the Middle of the D Mem final, and of the D Samech, remain'd miraculoufly fufpended Thi
which the firft Decemviri were created. The' Year following ten new ones were appointed to fucceed them and in the Year 304 another Set were to have been chofen ; but that the People rofe, made them lay down, and refumed the Confuls. The exceffive De- bauchery of Appttis Claudius Craffiuius, one of the Con- fuls, who was firft oblig'd to abdicate, and who had
without adhering to any Thing. See the Differtation been chofen firft Decemvir three times, was the prm-
im the Samaritan Medals, printed at 'Paris in 1715. cipaLCaufe. Cicero de Finib. Lib. I. Livy, Lib. III.
They add, that the Dec.tlogue was wrote in Letters Halicamaffevs, Lib. X. and Florus, Lib. £^24. oive
of Light, «'. e. in Luminous, Shining Letters. the Hiftory.
DECAMERIS, a Term fignifying a tenth Part; The Decemvirat Adminiftration, however, it is to be
us'd by Mr. Sauvevr, and ibme other Authors, to obferved, had not its firft Rife at the Time when the
mark and meafure the Intervals of Sounds. The Word Authority of the Confuls was devolved into the Hands
is form'd of JlU« ? Ten, and ^ U, Part. of the Decemvirs : For, during the Interregnum that
DECAMERON, a Work containing the Actions, or enfued after the Death of Romulus, the Management
Conversations of ten Days. Soccaces 'Decameron con- of Affairs, which the Senate then took upon them, is
fills of one hundred Novels related in ten Days. call'd by Halicamaffieus, Lib. II. Decemviral, by Rca-
DECAMP; when an Army raifes its Camp, and fon the Senators, divided into Tens, commanded each
departs from the Place where it lay before, they fay, in their Turn : That is, one of each Ten, for 5 Days
decamped. . fucceffively, having the Fafces, LiSors, ckc. like the
DECANUS, among the Romans, an Officer who Kings had ten other Officers, or Perfons, under his Charge ; Whence our Englifi Dean. See Dean.
There were alfo military Decemvirs ; and on divers Emergencies Decemvirs were created to manage and re-
igiffl n
DECANTATION, in Chymiflry, iSc. the Aft of gulate certain Affairs, after the fame Manner "as Boards pouring out a Liquor from oft the PtffQes, cVc. by gent- of CommifTioners are now appointed. Thus, there were ly inclining the Lip or Canthus of the Veffel ; whence Decemvirs for Conducting Colonies ; Decemvirs to pro- file Word is derived. See Canthus. pare and prefide at Feafts, in Honour of the Gods;
Word is derived. See Canthus.
DECAPITE', in Heraldry. See DekfAit.
DECAPROTI, among the Ancients, were Officers who gather'd the Tributes or Taxes. The Decaproti were oblig'd to pay for the Dead ; or, to anfwer to the Emperor for the ghiota Parts of fuch as died, out of their own Eftates. Cicero in his Oration for Rofcius, calls them Decemprimi.
and prefide Decemvirs to take Care of the Sacrifices ; Decemvirs to keep the Sybils Books. Sometimes, in lieu of De- cemvirs, they only created Settemvirs, or friiim- virs, or Duumvirs, ckc. See Quinbecemvir, S5V.
DECENNALIA, in Antiquity, Feafts which the Roman Emperors held every tenth Yeat of their Reign, with Sacrifices, Games, Largiffcs to the People, c^c.
The Word comes from J-'um, Ten, and srpTM, firft; Ai'guftus was the Author of this Cuftom, which was probably by Reafon the ten fitft, or principal Perfons afterwards imitated by his Succeffors. At the fame Time of each Community, were chofe to make the Levies.
DECASTYLE, in the ancient Architecture, a Build- ing with an Ordonnance often Columns in Front. The Temple of Jupiter Olympius was Decapyle. The Word is form'd of ^U»*j Ten, and sVaoc, Column.
DECEMBER, the laft Month of the Year, wherein
the) likewife offer'd Vows for the Emperor, and the
Perpetuity of ins Empire, call'd Vota Decennalia.
From the Time of A : ithoninus 'Pius, we find thefe
Cetemonies mark'd on Medals. PRIMI DECENNA-
LES. SECVNDI DECENNALES. VOTA SOL.
DECEN. II. VOTA SVSCEP. DECEN. III. Thefe
the Sun enters the Tropic of Capricorn, and makes Vows mull have been made at the Beginning of every
the Winter-Solftice. See Month. 10th Year ; for on the Medal of Pertinax, who
In Romulus's Year December was the 10th Month, fcarce reign'd 4 Months, we find VOTA DECENN
whence the Name, viz. from Decern, Ten : For the Ro- & VOT1S DECENNAL1BVS.
man s began their Year in March. The Month of De- Strnvius in his Antiq. Roman. Syntagma, Cap. IV. cember was under the Protection ofVefia. Romulus is ofOpinion, that thefe Vows took Place of thofe which affign'dit 30 Days; Numa reduced it to 29, and Ju- the Cenfor ufed to make in the Times of the Republic tin's Crfar to 31. for the Prorperity and Preservation thereof. In Effect,
Under the Reign of Commodus, this Month was call'd they were not only made for the Prince, but alfo for but of Flattery Amazonius, in Honour of a Courtezan, the State, as may be obferv'd from Dion. Lib. VIII. whom that Prince oaflionately loved, and had got painted and 'Pliny the Younger, Lib.X. Ep.101. like an Amazon ; but it kept that Name but during that A"g'tftus's Aim in Eftablifhing this Feaft, was to Emperor's Life. At the latter End of the Month, they preferve the Empire, and the fov'eraign Power without had the Juveniles hidi, and the Country-People kept the Offence, or Reftraint to the People. For durino the Ce- Feaft of the Goddefs Vacuna in the Field, having then lebration of this Feaft, that Prince ufed to furrender up gotten in their Fruits, and fown their Corn ; whence all his Authority into the Hands of the People, who, feems to be derived the Feftival we make after Har- fill'd with Joy, and charm 'd with the Goodnefs'of All- veft is in. gupis, immediately deliver'd it him back again.
DECEMPEDA, an Inftrument u<"ed by the Ancients DECIDUOUS, 'in the general, expreffes ?bmething
in Meafuring. The Decempeda was a Rule,
Rod
divided into ten Feet
Ten, and Pes pedis, Foot. The Foot was fubdivided into 12 Inches ; and each Inch into 10 Digits, See Foot. The Greeks call'd it jiUams.
It was greatly ufed both in Meafuring of Land, like the Chain among us ; and by Architects, to give the proper Dimeniions and Proportions to the Parts of their Buildin
apt and ready to fall : Thus Bothanifts fay, in foi
whence its Name from Decern, Plants the Perianthinm or Calyx is deciduous with tho ' Flower, that is, f .Us off from the Plant with it ; in others not. See Calix.
DEC.IES 'Pant-am, a Writ that lies againft a Ju- ror^ who haih taken Money for gi ving his Verdict ; fo call'd from its Effect, which is to recover ten times as much as he took. It lies alfo againft Embracers that
which Ufe it ftill retains. Horace, Lib. II. Oi. 15. lament- procute fuch an Enqueft.
ing the Magnificence and Delicacy of the Buildings of his LECIL, in Aiironomy, an Afpecl or Pofition of two
Time, obferves, that it was otherwife in the Times Planers, when they are diftant from each other a tenth
of Romulus and Cato, that in the Heufes of private Part of the Zodiac. See Aspect.
Perfons there were not then known any Portico's mea- DECIMAL Arithmetic, the Art of Computing by
fur'd out with the Decempeda, nor turn'd to the North, Decimal IraSions, firft invented by Job. Regio-
to take the cool Air. rnontanus, and ufed by him in the Conftruction of his
DECEMVIRI, Magiftrates among the Romans, fables of Sines, &c. See Arithmetic, and Deci- created with a foveraign Power, to dtaw up and make Laws for the People ; Thus call'd by Reafon the Power was committed to ten Perfons together.
To the Decemviri was given all the Legiflative Au- 10000, £?r. Thus io
thority eyer held by theKings, and after them by the tions. See Fraction.
mal Fraction.
Decimal Fratlions are thofe whofe Denominator is one, with one or more Cyphers ; as, 10, 100, 1000, " £?<:. are Decimal Frac-
