Decius
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| Decius | |
| Emperor of the Roman Empire | |
 Bust of Trajan Decius |
|
| Reign | 249 - 251 (alone); 251 (with Herennius Etruscus) |
|---|---|
| Full name | Gaius Messius Quintus Decius (from birth to accession); Caesar Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius Augustus (as emperor) |
| Born | ca. 201 |
| Birthplace | Budalia (Martinci, Serbia) |
| Died | June 251 |
| Place of death | Abrittus |
| Predecessor | Philip the Arab |
| Successor | Priscus / Trebonianus Gallus |
| Wife | Herenia Etruscilla |
| Offspring | Herennius Etruscus, Hostilian |
Gaius Messius Quintus Decius (ca. 201- June 251) was the Emperor of Rome from 249 - 251. In the last year of his reign he co-ruled with his son Herennius Etruscus until both were killed in the Battle of Abrittus.
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[edit] Early life and rise to power
Decius, who was born at Budalia, now Martinci, Serbia near Sirmium (Sremska Mitrovica), in Lower Pannonia was one of the first among a long succession of distinguished men to come from the provinces of Illyricum[1]. He served as consul in 232, as governor of Moesia and Germania Inferior immediately afterwards, was governor of Hispania Tarraconensis 235-238, and urban prefect of Rome during the early reign of Emperor Philip the Arab (Marcus Iulius Phillipus).
Around 245, Emperor Philip entrusted Decius with an important command on the Danube. By the end of 248 or 249, Decius was sent to quell the revolt of Pacatianus and his troops in Moesia and Pannonia[2]; the soldiers were enraged because of the peace treaty signed between Philip and the Sassanids. Once arrived, the troops forced Decius to assume the imperial dignity himself instead. Decius still protested his loyalty to Philip, but the latter advanced against him and was killed near Verona, Italy. The Senate then recognized Decius as Emperor, giving him the attribute Traianus as a reference to the good emperor Trajan.
[edit] Political actions
Decius' political program was focused on the restoration of the strength of the State, both military opposing the external threats, and restoring the public piety with a program of renovation of the State religion.
Either as a concession to the Senate, or perhaps with the idea of improving public morality, Decius endeavoured to revive the separate office and authority of the censor. The choice was left to the Senate, who unanimously selected Valerian (afterwards emperor). But Valerian, well aware of the dangers and difficulties attaching to the office at such a time, declined the responsibility. The invasion of the Goths and Decius' death put an end to the abortive attempt.
[edit] Persecutions of Christians
In January 250, Decius issued the edict for the suppression of Christianity. Exploiting popular hostility as a means of unifying the Empire, the "Decian persecution" began, motivated in part by the several problems plaguing Rome at the time: barbarian incursions into the Empire were becoming more and more daring, the ancient traditions were being forgotten, and the Empire was facing a serious economic crisis.
Measures were first taken demanding that the bishops and officers of the church sacrifice for the Emperor,[3] a matter of an oath of allegiance that Christians considered offensive. Certificates were issued to those who satisfied the pagan commissioners during the persecution of Christians under Decius. Forty-six such certificates have been published, all dating from 250, four of them from Oxyrhynchus.[4] [5]
At this time, there was a second outbreak of the Antonine Plague, which at its height in 251 to 266 took the lives of 5,000 a day in Rome. This outbreak is referred to as the "Plague of Cyprian" (the bishop of Carthage), where both the plague and the persecution of Christians were especially severe. Cyprian's biographer gave a vivid picture of the demoralizing effects of the plague [6] and Cyprian moralized the event in his essay De mortalitate. In Carthage the "Decian persecution" unleashed at the onset of the plague sought out Christian scapegoats. Decius' edicts were renewed under Valerius in 253 and repealed under his son, Gallienus, in 260-1.
The Decian persecution, in which Fabian, Bishop of Rome is said to have been martyred, also provides the context for the seven "apostles to Gaul" of Christian history and legend. In its classic form, their story is a brief mention in Gregory of Tours' "History of the Franks" (written in the decade before 594) quoting a lost vita of Saturnin of Toulouse. These seven bishops sent out to re-Christianize Gaul are individually discussed at their own entries: Gatien to Tours, Trophimus to Arles, Paul to Narbonne, Saturnin to Toulouse, Denis to Paris, Austromoine to Clermont, and Martial to Limoges.
[edit] Military actions and death
During his brief reign, Decius engaged in important operations against the Goths, who crossed the Danube to raid districts of Moesia and Thrace. This is the first considerable occasion the Goths — who would later come to play such an important role — appear in the historical record. The Goths under King Cniva were surprised by the emperor while besieging Nicopolis on the Danube; the Goths fled through the difficult terrain of the Balkans, but then doubled back and surprised the Romans near Beroë (modern Stara Zagora), sacking their camp and dispersing the Roman troops. It was the first time a Roman emperor fled in the face of Barbarians. The Goths then moved to attack Philippopolis (modern Plovdiv), which fell into their hands. Allegedly, they treated the city conquered with frightful cruelty. The city's commander, Titus Julius Priscus, declared himself Emperor under Gothic protection.
The siege of Philippopolis had so exhausted the numbers and resources of the Goths that they offered to surrender their treasure and prisoners, on condition of being allowed to retire.[citation needed] Decius, who had succeeded in surrounding them and hoped to cut off their retreat, refused to entertain their proposals. The final engagement, in which the Goths fought with the courage of despair, under the command of Cniva, took place during the second week of June 251 on swampy ground in the Dobrudja near the small settlement of Abritum or Forum Terebronii (modern Razgrad): see Battle of Abrittus. Jordanes records that Decius' son Herennius Etruscus was killed by an arrow early in the battle, and to cheer his men Decius exclaimed, "Let no one mourn; the death of one soldier is not a great loss to the republic." Nevertheless, his army was annihilated in this battle, and he himself was killed; he was the first Roman emperor to fall in a battle with barbarians.
[edit] Notes
- ^ "These men are usually called the Illyrian emperors since they all were born in that province (Illyricum) and were raised to power by legions stationed there" The Ancient World, Joseph Ward Swain
- ^ The legions guarding the frontiers of the Empire in Moesia and Pannonia were IIII Flavia Felix and XI Claudia.
- ^ The sacrifice was in favour of the Emperor, not to the Emperor, since a living Emperor was not considered divine.
- ^ http://www.csad.ox.ac.uk/POxy/VExhibition/d6.htm
- ^ http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/250sacrificecert.html
- ^ http://www.users.drew.edu/ddoughty/Christianorigins/persecutions/cyprian.html
[edit] References
- Nathan, Geoffry, and Robin McMahon, "Trajan Decius (249-251 A.D.) and Usurpers During His Reign", DIR
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
[edit] External links
Media related to Decius at Wikimedia Commons
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Philip the Arab |
Roman Emperor 249–251 Served alongside: Herennius Etruscus |
Succeeded by Trebonianus Gallus |
