or Decennia, in Roman Antiquity, a festival celebrated by the emperors, with sacrifices, games, and largesses to the people, every tenth year of their reign. This festival owed its institution to the circumstance that Augustus declined to assume the supreme power for life when it was offered to him by the people, and would only consent to accept of it for the limited period of ten years; at the end of which term he accepted it anew, and so on to the end of his life. In this manner he continued to retain the sovereign power without offence; for at the conclusion of each term he went through the form of surrendering his authority into the hands of the people, who were so charmed by his seeming disinterestedness, that they immediately requested him to resume it. In memory of this solemn farce, the subsequent emperors celebrated the Decennalia every tenth year of their reign.