The gens Decimia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned towards the end of the third century BC, participating on the Roman side during the Second Punic War.[1]
The first of the Decimii appearing in history was from Bovianum, a town of the Samnites, and those Decimii occurring in later times were likely his descendants, who settled at Rome after obtaining Roman citizenship. The nomenDecimius is a patronymic surname, formed from the praenomenDecimus, the Latin equivalent of the Oscan name Dekis, usually Latinized as Decius. The same root gave rise to the Roman gens Decia.[2]
Praenominaedit
The main praenomina of the Decimii at Rome were Gaius, Marcus, and Lucius, the three most abundant names at all periods of Roman history. The earliest member of this gens to occur in Roman writers bore the praenomen Numerius, a name common among the Oscan-speaking peoples of Italy, but comparatively scarce at Rome.
Branches and cognominaedit
The only cognomen found among the Decimii of the Republic is Flavus, meaning "golden" or "golden-brown", originally indicating someone with fair hair.[1][3]
Membersedit
Numerius Decimius, a native of Bovianum in Samnium, is described by Livy as a man of great wealth and nobility. In 217 BC, early in the Second Punic War, he led a force of eight thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry, as part of the army of the Roman dictatorQuintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus. Attacking Hannibal from the rear, he turned the tide of battle, saving the magister equitum, and giving the Romans a hard-fought victory.[4]
Marcus Decimius, one of the ambassadors sent to Crete and Rhodes in 172 BC, shortly before the beginning of the Third Macedonian War. Decimius and Tiberius Claudius Nero were charged with determining whether these Roman allies could be counted upon in the event of hostilities, or whether Perseus of Macedon had attempted to gain their allegiance.[5]
Lucius Decimius, sent to win the favour of the Illyrian king Gentius in 171 BC, and prevent him from joining forces with Perseus. His embassy produced no result, and it was rumoured that Gentius had bribed him.[6]
Gaius Decimius, a former quaestor, in the party of Pompeius. He was at Cercina in 47 BC, in charge of procuring supplies, but fled in a small ship upon the arrival of Sallust, then one of Caesar's generals. He should probably be identified with Gaius Decimius, the friend of Titus Pomponius Atticus.[7][8]
Decimius Hilarianus Hesperius, the son of Ausonius, was proconsul of Africa from 376 to 377, and praetorian prefect of Gaul and Italy from 378 to 379.[9][10]
Decimii Flaviedit
Gaius Decimius Flavus, a military tribune in 209 BC, serving under Marcus Claudius Marcellus. His forces withstood a charge by Hannibal's elephants, preserving Marcellus from defeat. He might be the same person as Gaius Decimius Flavus, praetor in 184 BC.[11]
Gaius Decimius Flavus, praetorurbanus in 184 BC, dying during his year of office. If not identical with the Flavus who was military tribune in 209 BC, he was probably his son.[12]
Gaius Decimius (Flavus), an ambassador to Crete in 171 BC. As praetor peregrinus in 169, he was sent to reconcile Antiochus IV and Ptolemy VI. He also visited Rhodes, and reported favourably on their conduct to the Senate. Possibly a son of Gaius Decimius Flavus, praetor urbanus in 184.[13][14]
(Gaius) Decimius Flavus, moneyer in 150 BC, perhaps a grandson of Gaius Decimius Flavus, praetor urbanus in 184.[15]
Pierre Gaspard Hubert Willems, Le Sénat de la République Romaine, Ch. Peeters, Louvain, Ernest Thorin, Paris (1878–1885); Ayers Company Publishers (1975).
George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, vol. VIII, pp. 103–184 (1897).
T. Robert S. Broughton, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, American Philological Association (1952–1986).
Michael Crawford, Roman Republican Coinage, Cambridge University Press (1974, 2001).
January 01, 1970
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The gens Decimia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome Members of this gens are first mentioned towards the end of the third century BC participating on the Roman side during the Second Punic War 1 Contents 1 Origin 2 Praenomina 3 Branches and cognomina 4 Members 4 1 Decimii Flavi 5 See also 6 References 7 BibliographyOrigin editThe first of the Decimii appearing in history was from Bovianum a town of the Samnites and those Decimii occurring in later times were likely his descendants who settled at Rome after obtaining Roman citizenship The nomen Decimius is a patronymic surname formed from the praenomen Decimus the Latin equivalent of the Oscan name Dekis usually Latinized as Decius The same root gave rise to the Roman gens Decia 2 Praenomina editThe main praenomina of the Decimii at Rome were Gaius Marcus and Lucius the three most abundant names at all periods of Roman history The earliest member of this gens to occur in Roman writers bore the praenomen Numerius a name common among the Oscan speaking peoples of Italy but comparatively scarce at Rome Branches and cognomina editThe only cognomen found among the Decimii of the Republic is Flavus meaning golden or golden brown originally indicating someone with fair hair 1 3 Members editNumerius Decimius a native of Bovianum in Samnium is described by Livy as a man of great wealth and nobility In 217 BC early in the Second Punic War he led a force of eight thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry as part of the army of the Roman dictator Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Attacking Hannibal from the rear he turned the tide of battle saving the magister equitum and giving the Romans a hard fought victory 4 Marcus Decimius one of the ambassadors sent to Crete and Rhodes in 172 BC shortly before the beginning of the Third Macedonian War Decimius and Tiberius Claudius Nero were charged with determining whether these Roman allies could be counted upon in the event of hostilities or whether Perseus of Macedon had attempted to gain their allegiance 5 Lucius Decimius sent to win the favour of the Illyrian king Gentius in 171 BC and prevent him from joining forces with Perseus His embassy produced no result and it was rumoured that Gentius had bribed him 6 Gaius Decimius a former quaestor in the party of Pompeius He was at Cercina in 47 BC in charge of procuring supplies but fled in a small ship upon the arrival of Sallust then one of Caesar s generals He should probably be identified with Gaius Decimius the friend of Titus Pomponius Atticus 7 8 Decimius Magnus Ausonius a fourth century poet and rhetorician Decimius Hilarianus Hesperius the son of Ausonius was proconsul of Africa from 376 to 377 and praetorian prefect of Gaul and Italy from 378 to 379 9 10 Decimii Flavi edit Gaius Decimius Flavus a military tribune in 209 BC serving under Marcus Claudius Marcellus His forces withstood a charge by Hannibal s elephants preserving Marcellus from defeat He might be the same person as Gaius Decimius Flavus praetor in 184 BC 11 Gaius Decimius Flavus praetor urbanus in 184 BC dying during his year of office If not identical with the Flavus who was military tribune in 209 BC he was probably his son 12 Gaius Decimius Flavus an ambassador to Crete in 171 BC As praetor peregrinus in 169 he was sent to reconcile Antiochus IV and Ptolemy VI He also visited Rhodes and reported favourably on their conduct to the Senate Possibly a son of Gaius Decimius Flavus praetor urbanus in 184 13 14 Gaius Decimius Flavus moneyer in 150 BC perhaps a grandson of Gaius Decimius Flavus praetor urbanus in 184 15 See also editList of Roman gentesReferences edit a b Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology vol I p 947 Decimius Chase pp 128 130 as Decumius Chase p 110 Livy xxii 24 Livy xlii 19 Livy xlii 37 45 Hirtius De Bello Africo 34 Cicero Epistulae ad Atticum iv 16 CIL VIII 1219 CIL VIII 25845 CIL VIII 26568 PLRE vol 1 pp 427 428 Livy xxvii 14 xxxix 32 38 39 Broughton vol II p 559 Livy xlii 35 xliii 11 15 xliv 19 xlv 10 Willems Le Senat de la Republique Romaine p 375 Crawford Roman Republican Coinage p 251 Bibliography editMarcus Tullius Cicero Epistulae ad Atticum Aulus Hirtius attributed De Bello Africo On the African War Titus Livius Livy History of Rome Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology William Smith ed Little Brown and Company Boston 1849 Theodor Mommsen et alii Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum The Body of Latin Inscriptions abbreviated CIL Berlin Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften 1853 present Pierre Gaspard Hubert Willems Le Senat de la Republique Romaine Ch Peeters Louvain Ernest Thorin Paris 1878 1885 Ayers Company Publishers 1975 George Davis Chase The Origin of Roman Praenomina in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology vol VIII pp 103 184 1897 T Robert S Broughton The Magistrates of the Roman Republic American Philological Association 1952 1986 Jones A H M J R Martindale amp J Morris 1971 1992 Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 07233 6 Michael Crawford Roman Republican Coinage Cambridge University Press 1974 2001 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Decimia gens amp oldid 1167562356, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
