Bust of Traianus Decius.

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. picture of Roman Emperor Traianus Decius This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... picture of Roman Emperor Traianus Decius This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... For the New Jersey area code, see Area code 201. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... Events July 1 – In the Battle of Abrittus, the Goths defeat the Romans; emperors Decius and Herennius Etruscus are killed. ... This is a list of Roman Emperors with the dates they controlled the Roman Empire. ... Events Trajan Decius becomes Roman emperor. ... Quintus Herennius Etruscus Messius Decius (c. ... The Battle of Abrittus (now Razgrad, Bulgaria), also known as the Battle of Forum Terebronii, occurred in 251 between the Roman legions and Goths under King Cniva. ...

Early life and raise to power

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). Sremska Mitrovica (Сремска Митровица) is a city located in the Vojvodina province of Serbia and Montenegro at 44. ... Position of the Roman province of Pannonia Pannonia is an ancient country bounded north and east by the Danube, conterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. ... Illyria (Anc. ... Consul (abbrev. ... Events Relics of St. ... In ancient geography, Moesia was a district inhabited chiefly by Thracian peoples. ... The Roman province of Germania Inferior, 120 AD Germania Inferior (in English: Lower Germany) was a Roman province located on the left bank of the Rhine, in todays southern Netherlands and western Germany. ... Roman Imperial province of Hispania Tarraconensis, 120 AD Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. ... This coin struck under Philip to celebrate Saeculum Novum bears, on the reverse, a temple devoted to Roma goddess. ...

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^[1]; 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. Events Roman emperor Philip the Arabian entrusted future emperor Gaius Messius Quintus Trajanus with an important command on the Danube Trieu Thi Trinh Vietnamese warrior women begins her three year resistance against the invading Chinese. ... The Danube bend at Visegrád is a popular destination of tourists The Danube (ancient Danuvius) is Europes second-longest river (after the Volga). ... The obverse of this antoninianus celebrates Pacatianus as unconquered, while the reverse celebrates the 1001st birthday of Rome. ... The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Empire (in Persian: Sasanian) is the name used for the second Persian Empire (226 - 651). ... Map of Italy showing Verona in the north Verona (population est. ... Marble statue of Trajan at Xanten (Colonia Ulpia Traiana). ...

Political actions

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 politcal program was focused on the restoration of the strength of the State, both military opposing the external treaths, 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. Censor was the title of two magistrates of high rank in the Roman Republic. ... Valerian on a coin celebrating goddess Fortuna, associated with health and wealth. ...

The "Decian persecutions" of Christians

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^[2], a matter of an oath of allegiance that was taken by Christians as offensive. The History of the Roman Catholic Church or simply the Catholic Church covers a period of just under two thousand years, making the Church one of the oldest religious institutions in history. ...

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 Antonine Plague AD 165-180, also known as the Plague of Galen, was an ancient pandemic, either of smallpox or measles brought back to the Roman Empire by troops returning from campaigns in the Near East. ... Saint Cyprian (Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus) (died September 14, 258) bishop of Carthage and an important early Christian writer, was born probably at the beginning of the 3rd century in North Africa, perhaps at Carthage, where he received an excellent pagan education; having converted to Christianity, he became a bishop (249... Carthaginian settlements in the western Mediterranean. ... Many Christians have experienced persecution from both non-Christians and from other Christians during the history of Christianity. ... Head of Gallienus, in the Musée du Cinquantenaire, Brussels Gallienus depicted on a lead seal Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (218-268) ruled the Roman Empire as co-emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and then as the sole Roman Emperor from 260 to 268. ...

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. Saint Cyprian (Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus) (died September 14, 258) bishop of Carthage and an important early Christian writer, was born probably at the beginning of the 3rd century in North Africa, perhaps at Carthage, where he received an excellent pagan education; having converted to Christianity, he became a bishop (249... Saint Fabian (died 250; feast day: January 20), pope and martyr, was chosen pope, or bishop of Rome, in January 236 in succession to Pope Anterus. ... Gregory of Tours (c. ... Saint Saturnin (in Latin Saturninus, now Sernin in France and in Navarra Cernin), with a feast day entered for November 29, was one of the apostles to the Gauls sent out (probably under the direction of Pope Fabian, 236 - 250) during the consulate of Decius and Gratus (250-251 AD... Gatianus or Saint Gatien (3rd century AD) was the founding bishop of the see of Tours. ... Location within France Tours Cathedral: 15th century Flamboyante Gothic west front with Renaissance pinnacles, 1547 Tours Cathedral. ... According to Catholic lore, Saint Trophimus of Arles or Saint Trophime was the first bishop of Arles, in todays southern France. ... Map of western Mediterranean, showing location of Arles Ruins at the Roman theatre Les Alyscamps, Falling Autumn Leaves, Vincent van Gogh, 1888 Arles (Arle in Provençal) is a city in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône département, of which it is a sous-pr... Saint Paul of Narbonne (3rd century CE) was one of the apostles to the Gauls sent out (probably under the direction of Pope Fabian, 236 - 250) during the consulate of Decius and Gratus (250-251 AD) to Christianize Gaul after the persecutions under Emperor Decius had all but dissolved the... Cathedral in Narbonne. ... Saint Saturnin (in Latin Saturninus, now Sernin in France and in Navarra Cernin), with a feast day entered for November 29, was one of the apostles to the Gauls sent out (probably under the direction of Pope Fabian, 236 - 250) during the consulate of Decius and Gratus (250-251 AD... The Capitole, the 18th century city hall of Toulouse and best known landmark in the city; in the foreground is the Place du Capitole, a hub of urban life at the very center of the city Toulouse (pronounced in standard French, and in local Toulouse accent) (Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced ) is... Saint Denis, also known as Denise, Dionysius, or Dennis is a Christian saint, bishop of Paris, martyr, and a patron saint of France. ... The Eiffel Tower, the international symbol of the city For other uses, see Paris (disambiguation). ... In Roman Catholic lore, Saint Austremonius or Saint Stramonius or Austromoine, the apostle of the Auvergne, was the first bishop of Clermont. ... Clermont is the name of several places in the United States of America: Clermont, Florida Clermont, Georgia Clermont, Indiana Clermont, Iowa Clermont, New York Clermont County, Ohio Clermont is the name of several communes in France: Clermont, in the Ariège département Clermont, in the Haute-Savoie département Clermont, in the... Saint Martial was the first bishop of Limoges, in todays France , according to a life of Saturninus, first bishop of Toulouse, which Gregory of Tours quotes in his Life That is all that is known and it may be summed up thus: Under the Emperor Decius and of Gratus...

Military actions and death

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 — 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, 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. Image File history File links Aureus-Trajan_Decius-RIC_0029a. ... Image File history File links Aureus-Trajan_Decius-RIC_0029a. ... Invasion of the Goths: a late 19th century painting by O. Fritsche portrays the Goths as cavalrymen. ... Thrace (Greek Θράκη, ThrákÄ“, Bulgarian Тракия, Trakija, Turkish Trakya; Latin: Thracia or Threcia) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. ... Cniva (flourished mid-3rd century) was the Gothic king who defeated and killed Decius and his older son, Herennius Etruscus, at the Battle of Abrittus in 251. ... Nikopol is a town in North Bulgaria, Pleven Province, on the Danube river. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Plovdiv (Bulgarian: Пловдив) is the second largest city in Bulgaria, with a population of 376,918 citizens. ... Gaius Julius Priscus (3rd century) was a Roman military man and member of the Praetorian guard in the reign of Gordian III. Priscus was born in the Syrian Roman province, possibly in Damascus, son of a Julius Marinus a local Roman citizen, possibly of some importance. ...

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 on swampy ground in the Dobrudja near Abritum (Abrittus, July 1, 251) or Forum Trebonii. 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. Dobruja or sometimes Dobrudja (Dobrogea in Romanian, Dobrudzha in Bulgarian, Dobruca in Turkish) is the territory between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, which includes the Danube Delta and the Romanian sea-shore. ... The Battle of Abrittus (now Razgrad, Bulgaria), also known as the Battle of Forum Terebronii, occurred in 251 between the Roman legions and Goths under King Cniva. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... Events July 1 – In the Battle of Abrittus, the Goths defeat the Romans; emperors Decius and Herennius Etruscus are killed. ... Quintus Herennius Etruscus Messius Decius (c. ...

Fictional references

Decius was also the name of a Romulan starship in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Future Imperfect." The Romulans, a fictional race in the Star Trek universe, are descended from Vulcans and are characterized as being passionate, cunning, and opportunistic. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ... Future Imperfect is an episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. ...

Notes

1. ^ The legions guarding the frontiers of the Empire in Moesia and Pannonia were IIII Flavia Felix and XI Claudia.
2. ^ The sacrifice was in favour of the Emperor, not to the Emperor, since a living Emperor was not considered divine.

Antoninianus minted under Carausius. ... Legio XI Claudia Pia Fidelis (faithful and loyal Claudian legion) was a Roman legion. ...

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.

Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

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