Decimius

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 che Decimii is Flavus. The following list contains those who are mentioned without a cognomen.

1. Numerius Decimics, of Bovianum in Samnium, is called the most illustrious person in all 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 6000 Carthaginians were slain, but the Romans too lost 5000 men. (Liv. 22.24.)

2. C. Decimius, was sent in B. C. 171 as ambassador to Crete to request the Cretans to send auxiliaries for the war against Perseus of Macedonia. In 169 he was praetor peregrinus, and ill 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. 42.35, 43.11, 15, 44.19, 45.10.)

3. M. Decimius, was sent with Tib. Claudius Nero as ambassador to Crete and Rhodes in B. 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. 42.19.)

4. L. Decimius, was sent in B. C. 171 as ambassador 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 without having effected anything, and was suspected of having accepted bribes from the king. (Liv. 42.37, 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 Pompeians, 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. Att. 4.16.) [L.S]