The Collaborative International Dictionary
Decurion \De*cu"ri*on\, n. [L. decurio, decurionis, fr. decuria a squad of ten, fr. decem ten.] (Rom. Antiq.) A head or chief over ten; especially, an officer who commanded a division of ten soldiers.
Wiktionary
n. 1 An officer in charge of ten men in the ancient Roman army. 2 A member of local government in ancient Rome.
Wikipedia
Decurion may refer to:
- Decurion (military), a military officer in the Roman infantry or cavalry
- Decurion (administrative), a member of a city or town council in ancient Rome
A decurion ( Latin: decurio, plural decuriones) was a Roman cavalry officer in command of a squadron ( turma) of cavalrymen in the Roman army.
A decurion was a member of a city senate in the Roman Empire. Decurions were drawn from the curiales class, which was made up of the wealthy middle class citizens of a town society. The emergence of the post of decurion may be found in Rome's decision to allow office-holders in Latin colonies in Italy to become Roman citizens in an attempt to create loyalty in 125 BC.
Decurions were the most powerful political figures at the local level. They were responsible for public contracts, religious rituals, entertainment, and ensuring order. Perhaps most importantly to the imperial government, they also supervised local tax collection.
Early in the imperial period, aristocratic citizens actively sought the post as a mark of prestige. They would gain seats in the front row of the theatre and be accepted into the class of honestiores (honourable men). Once elected, they were expected to pay large sums of their own money to perform public works; decurions would typically compete with each other to furnish the community with temples, baths, and other public facilities.
Under the Dominate (284 and later), when the empire's finances demanded more draconian tax collection measures, the position of decurion ceased being a status symbol and became an unwanted civil service position. It was still limited to the aristocracy, but the primary emphasis was clearly on tax collection, and decurions were expected to make up any shortfall in the local tax collection out of their own pockets. Many decurions illegally left their positions in an attempt to seek relief from this burden; if caught, they would be subject to forfeiture of their property or even execution.
Usage examples of "decurion".
Senior Decurion McWhirter killed by terrorist time-bomb while on antipartisan duty near Bratislava, Carpathian Province.
The decurion and the trooper with the light machine gun came to their knees, slapped the bipods of their weapons onto the low parapet of the stone wall, and began working automatic fire along the line of slit windows.
As soon as Beric had learned the language, Caius ordered the scribe to teach him the elements of Roman law, and a decurion was ordered to take him in hand and instruct him in arms.
The laborious offices, which could be productive only of envy and reproach, of expense and danger, were imposed on the Decurions, who formed the corporations of the cities, and whom the severity of the Imperial laws had condemned to sustain the burdens of civil society.
This Indulgence was allow'd him, and Pliny wrote to the Decurions to assign the Ground that was proper for that Purpose.
For he was prov'd, by the Accounts of Martianus, and by his own Discourse on the Bench of the Decurions of Leptis, to have lent his Assistance to Priscus in a very dishonourable Service, and to have contracted, on the Account of Martianus, for 50000 Denarii.
He wrote it publickly, that the Decurions might pitch upon one of the loudest among themselves to read it to the People.
I would therefore desire you, at the next Meeting of the Decurions, to shew, what the Law is.
The laborious offices, which could be productive only of envy and reproach, of expense and danger, were imposed on the Decurions, who formed the corporations of the cities, and whom the severity of the Imperial laws had condemned to sustain the burdens of civil society.
Then the o enturionS would say to their decurions: O, we shall attack by moonlight and be massacred.
File-closers and decurions moved in with halberds and two-handed swords.
Two decurions and an antecenturion were sprawled nearby on the deck, dead or dying.
Even through two phone imps, the Long Beach constabu lary decurion sounded bored when he answered my call.
After retiring from the army, Macellius had built his mansion, almost immediately been elected a decurion and was rapidly becoming a pillar of the community.