Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/965

DECIMIUS. that occur in this gens are Mirs and Sitbulo : for those who are mentioned without a surname see Dkcius. DKCIA'NUS, APPULEIUS. 1. C. Appu- i.Kius Decianus was tribune of the people in B. c. 90. In that year he brought a charge against L. Valerius Flaccus, the nature of which is unknown. He also brought an accusation against L. Furius, one of the tribunes of the year previous, who op- posed the recall of Metellus Nuniidicus. It seems to have been on this occasion that he lamented be- fore the public assembly the fiite of L. Appuleius Saturninus and Servilius Glaucia, and endeavoured to create disturbcinces to avenge their death. In consequence of these proceedings he himself was condemned, and went into exile to Pontus, where he engaged in the service of Mithridates. (Cic. pro Rabir. perd. 9, pro Flacc. 32 ; Schol. Bobiens. p. 230, ed. Orelli ; Val. Max. viii. 1. § 2 ; Ap- pian, B. C. i. 33.) 2. C. Appuleius Dkcianus, a. son of No. 1, lived as negotiator in Asia Minor, at Pergamus, and at Apollonis. He was repeatedly charged with having committed acts of injustice and vio- lence towards the inhabitants of Apollonis, for he appears to have been a person of a very avaricious and insolent character, and in the end he was con- demned by the praetor Flaccus, the son of the L. Valerius Flaccus, who had been accused by De- cianus, the father. In b. c. 59, Decianus took vengeance upon Flaccus by supporting the charge which D. Laelius brought against him. (Cic. pro Flacc. 29—33 ; Schol. Bobiens. pp. 228, 230, 242, ed. Orelli.) [L. S.] DECIA'NUS, C. PLAU'TIUS, was consul in B. c. 329 with L. Aemilius Mamercinus. It was his province during his consulship to continue the war against Privemum, while his colleague was en- gaged in raising another army to meet the Gauls, who were reported to be marching southward. But this report proved to be unfounded, and all the Roman forces were now directed against Privemum. The town was taken, its walls were pulled down, and a strong garrison was left on the spot. On his return Decianus celebrated a triumph. During the discussions in the senate as to what punish- ment was to be inflicted upon the Privematans, Decianus humanely endeavoured to alleviate their fate. According to the Fasti, C. Plautius Decianus was consul also in the year following ; but Livy mentions in his stead P. Plautius Proculus. In B. c. 312, C. Plautius Decianus was censor with Appius Claudius, and after holding the office eigh- teen months, he laid it down, in accordance with the lex Aemilia, while Appius Claudius, refusing obedience to the law, remained censor alone. (Liv. viii. 20, 22, ix. 29, 33 ; Val. Max. vi. 2. $ 1 ; Frontin. de Aqua^d. i. 5 ; Diodor. xx. 36.) [L. S.] DECIA'NUS CATUS. [Catus.] DECI'DIUS SAXA. [Saxa.] DECI'MIUS. The Decimii appear to have been originally a Samnite family of Bovianum, at least the first of the name belonged to that place, and the others who occur in history were probably his descendants, who after obtaining the Roman franchise settled at Rome. The only cognomen among the Decimii is Flavus. The following list contains those who are mentioned without a cognomen. 1. NuMERius Decimius, of Boviauum in Sam- nium, is called the most illustrious person in all DECIUS. 947 Samnium, both by his noble descent and his wealth. In B. c. 217 he joined the Roman army against Hannibal with 8000 foot and 500 horse, at the command of the dictator Q. Fabius Maximus. With these forces Decimius appeared in the rear of Hannibal, and thus decided a battle which was taking a very unfavourable turn for Minucius, the magister equitum. Two castella were taken on that day, and GOOO Carthaginians were slain, but the Romans too lost 5000 men. (Liv. xxii. 24.) 2. C. Decimius, was sent in B. c. 171 as am- bassador to Crete to request the Cretans to send auxiliaries for the war against Perseus of Mace- donia. In 1 69 he was praetor peregrinus, and in the year following he was sent with two others as ambassador to Antiochus and Ptolemy, to bring about a reconciliation between the two kings, and to declare that, whichever of them should continue hostilities, should cease to be treated as the friend and ally of Rome. On that occasion Decimius and his colleagues visited the island of Rhodes at the request of the Rhodians themselves, and on his return to Rome his report was in favour of the Rhodians, in as much as he endeavoured to throw the guilt of their hostility towards Rome upon some individuals only, while he tried to exculpate the body of the people. (Liv. xlii. 35, adiii. II, 15, xliv. 19, xlv. 10.) 3. M. Decimius, was sent with Tib. Claudius Nero as ambassador to Crete and Rhodes in a. c. 172, just before the outbreak of the war with Perseus, for the purpose of discovering whether they had been tempted by Perseus, and of trying to renew their friendship with Rome. (Liv. xlii. 19.) 4. L. Decimius, was sent in b. c. 171 as ambas- sador to the Illyrian king Genthius, to try to win him over to the side of the Romans during the war against Perseus. But he returned to Rome with- out having effected anything, and was suspected of having accepted bribes from the king. ( Liv. xlii. 37, 45.) 5. C. Decimius, a person wno had held the office of quaestor {quaestorius and belonged to the party of Pompey. In b. c. 47 he was in the island of Cercina to take care of the provisions for the Porapeians, but on the arrival of Sallust, the historian, who was then a general of Caesar, Decimius immediately quitted the island, and fled in a small vessel. (Caes. Bell. Afr. 34.) He seems to be the same as the C. Decimius who was a friend of Atticus. (Cic. ad Alt. iv. 16.) [L. S.] DE'CIUS. 1. M. Decius, one of the depu- ties sent to the senate by the plebeians during their secession to the sacred mount in b. c. 495- (Dionys. vi. 88.) 2. M. Decius, tribune of the people in b. c. 311, when he carried a plebiscitum, that the people should appoint duumviri navales to restore and equip the Roman fleet. (Liv. ix. 30.) 3. P. Decius, one of the legates who in b, c. 168 brought to Rome the news of the defeat of the Illy rians, and of the capture of their king Genthius. (Liv. xlv. 3.) 4. P. Decius, according to Cicero {dc Oral. ii. 31) and Aurelius Victor (de Vir. III. 72), whereas Livy (Epit. 61) calls him Q. Decius, was tribune of the people in B. c. 120. L. Opimius, who had been consul the year before, was brought to trial by the tribune Decius for having caused the murder of C. Gracchus, and for having thrown citizens 3p2