DECU´RIA
DECU´RIA from
decem,
ten, and consequently a company of ten persons (
Col.
1.9.7 ;
Gel. 18.7).
1. A division of the curiae. Each of the three ancient Roman tribes--the
Ramnes, Tities, and Luceres--was divided into ten curiae, and each curia
into ten decuriae, so that there were 300 decuriae, which, according to
Niebuhr, were equivalent to the gentes, but this is doubtful (
Dionys. A. R. 2.7.;
Plut. Rom. 20;
Cic. de
Rep. 2.8). [
GENS] The constitution of the curiae is discussed under
CURIA
2. A corresponding division of the senate. The original hundred members of
the senate were divided into ten decuriae, the heads of each decuria forming
the Decem Primi in the senate (
Liv. 1.17; cf.
Ov. Fast. 3.127). [
SENATUS] In like manner in the
municipal towns the senate, usually called curia, was divided into decuriae.
[
DECURIONES]
3. In the same way for military purposes each of the three Roman tribes was
represented by 100 equites, called centuriae. The three centuriae were
divided into ten turmae, each consisting of thirty men; every turma
contained ten Ramnes, ten Tities, and ten Luceres, and each of these
decuriae was commanded by a decurio (
Liv. 1.13;
Varr.
L. L. 5.91; Fest. p. 71, M.; Serv.
ad
Verg. A. 5.560). [
EQUITES]
4. The Judices were divided into three decuriae, to which Augustus added a
fourth, and Caligula a fifth decuria (
Plin. Nat.
33.30 foll.;
Suet. Aug. 22;
Calig. 16). For details, see
JUDEX
5. Collegia or corporations were divided into decuriae. Thus we read of
decuriae of scribae, lictors, viatores, &c. (
Suet. Cl. 1;
Cic. Ver. 3.79,
184;
Liv.
40.29;
Tac. Ann. 13.27; Schol.
ad
Juv. 5.3; Orelli,
Inscr. 2204,
2252, 2456, 2676, 3217, &c.). The members of these decuriae were
called decuriales (Cod. Theod. 14.1, 3; Orelli,
Inscr. 874,
976, 2456, &c.).
6. The tribes were divided into decuriae by electioneering agents for bribery
and corruption (
Cic. Planc. 18,
45;
19,
47;
Phil. 7.6, 18).
[
W.S]