DEVOTION, among the Romans, was a kind of sacrifice or ceremony, whereby they consecrated themselves to the service of some person. The ancients had a notion, that the life of one might be ransomed by the death of another; whence those devotions became frequent for the lives of the emperors. Devotion to any particular person was unknown among the Romans till the time of Augustus. The very day after the title of Augustus had been conferred upon Octavius, Pacuvius, a tribune of the people, publicly declared, that he would devote himself to Augustus, and obey him at the expence of his life (as was the practice among barbarous nations), if he was commanded. His example was immediately followed by all the rest: till at length it became an established custom never to go to salute the emperor, without declaring that they were devoted to him.—Before this, the practice of the Romans was that of devoting themselves to their country. See DECUS.