Decius, Roman Emperor
Decius, whose full name was Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius, was a Roman emperor who was in power for barely two years in total, from the year 249 AD until the year 251 AD. During the last year of his rule, he actually shared authority over the Roman Empire with his son Herennius Etruscus. The father and son would be in power together until their deaths in the year 251 AD during the battle of Abrittus.
Decius was born sometime in the year 201 AD. The exact date of his birth is unknown as relatively very little public records were kept at that time, and the few that were kept tended to be somewhat sketchy in details.
His birth place is recorded as being somewhere in the general area of Budalia which was located near Sirmium, in Lower Pannonia. He holds the distinction of being the very first in a line of important political figures who originated from the Illyrian provinces.
Decius had a particularly productive political career at the beginning of his appointment as consul in the year 232 AD. An appointment to the position of governor of both Moesia and Germania Inferior followed shortly afterwards and from that point in time, his growth in the Roman political sphere was unstoppable.
He was later granted the governorship of Hispania Tarraconensis, a highly coveted position that he held from the year 235 AD until the year 238 AD. The early years of the reign of Emperor Philip the Arab (who was actually named Marcus Iulius Phillipus) found Decius taking on a further political position, this time as the urban prefect of Rome.
His political and military career continued to grow considerably stronger as time passed, resulting in his appointment to the head of an important military command on the Danube. This last position was granted to him by the then emperor, Philip.
Upon the revolt of Pacatianus, it quickly became apparent that a suitable military force needed to be assembled in order to arrest this growing threat. Decius was clearly the one man who was best suited to this formidable task and in the year 248 AD (or 249 AD, reports vary), he was sent to quash the combined military strength of Pacatianus and his forces. The two sides would eventually meet and cross swords at Moesia and Pannonia.
Unbeknownst to Decius however, trouble was brewing from within his ranks, a trouble that threatened to spiral out of control and affect what remained of his forces. A peace treaty that was put in effect between Philip and the Sassanids served only to enrage the soldiers under Decius's command. Upon their arrival, they made known their wishes that he assume control over the throne of Emperor.
While he was reluctant to accept such a position and indeed was quite vocal in his support for Phillip, the latter nevertheless marched against him and was killed in a subsequent armed encounter near Verona in Italy. After this event, the road to emperorship was rendered wide open and Decius assumed control over the throne.
Decius died in June of the year 251 AD.
Original Authors: Doods Pangburn
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 22/07/2008
