Home1797 Edition

DECURIO

Volume 5 · 164 words · 1797 Edition

a subaltern officer in the Roman armies. He commanded a decuria, which consisted of ten men, and was the third part of a turma, or the tenth part of a legio of horse which was composed of 380 men. There were certain magistrates in the provinces called decuriones municipales, who formed a body to represent the Roman senate in free and corporate towns. They consisted of ten; whence the name and their duty extended to watch over the interests of their fellow citizens, and to increase the revenues of the commonwealth. Their court was called curia decurionum and minor senatus; and their decrees, called decreta decurionum, were marked with two D.D. at the top. They generally styled themselves civitatum patres curiales and honorati municipiorum senatores. They were elected with the same ceremonies as the Roman senators; they were to be at least 25 years of age, and to be possessed of a certain sum of money. The election happened in the kalends of March.