Decius
This article is about the Roman emperor. For the American technology expert "Decius", whose pseudonym comes from Decius Wadsworth, please see the article on Tom Cross.Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius (
c. 201-
July 1 251),
Roman emperor (
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.
Decius, who was born at Budalia (near
Sirmium, in lower
Pannonia) was the first among a long succession of distinguished men to come from the
Illyrian provinces. 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
[The legions guarding the frontiers of the Empire in Moesia and Pannonia were IIII Flavia Felix and XI Claudia.]; 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 slain near
Verona, Italy. The Senate recognized Decius Emperor, giving him the attribute
Traianus as a reference to the good emperor
Trajan.
Decius was an excellent soldier, a man of amiable disposition, and a capable administrator, worthy of being classed with the best Romans of the ancient type.
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 the death of Decius put an end to the abortive attempt.
The persecutions of Decius figure large in the
history of the Roman Catholic Church but are not otherwise officially mentioned. Early in 250, Decius issued the edict for the suppression of Christianity as a disruptive force and exploiting popular hostility as a means of unifying the Empire, and the "Decian persecution" famous to Christians began. Measures were first taken demanding that the bishops and officers of the church sacrifice for the Emperor
[The sacrifice was in favour of the Emperor, not to the Emperor, since a living Emperor was not considered divine.], a matter of an oath of allegiance that was taken by Christians as offensive.
Just at this time there was a second outbreak of the
Antonine Plague, which at its height in 251 to 266 was taking 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 [
1] and Cyprian moralized the event in his essay
De mortalitate. The human reaction to overwhelming devastations is universally twofold: to moralize them, and to lay the blame on a nearby minority and wreak vengeance. As Jews paid with their lives during the 14th century's Black Death, so 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 career of
Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, who survived the episode, only to be martyred later, offers a picture of the disorders and divisions in the doubly traumatized Christian communities, when it was a question whether or how to receive back those who had weakened, paid civic homage to Decius and were inscribed in the
libelli as having performed their civic obligation. The persecution of Decius, 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.
 |
Coin struck under Emperor Decius, celebrating his victories. |
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 â€" who would later come to play such an important role â€" 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 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 and who treated the conquered with frightful cruelty. Its commander,
Gaius 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 booty and prisoners, on condition of being allowed to retire unmolested. But 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
July 1 251 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." However, his army was annihilated in this battle, and Decius slain. He became the first Roman emperor killed in a battle with barbarians.
Decius was also the name of a
Romulan starship in the
Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "
Future Imperfect."
*
Nathan, Geoffry, and Robin McMahon, "Trajan Decius (249-251 A.D.) and Usurpers During His Reign",
DIR*
