Caecina Mavortius Basilius Decius ( 486–510) was a Roman politician under

Odoacer Odoacer ( ; – 15 March 493 AD), also spelled Odovacer or Odovacar, was a soldier and statesman of barbarian background, who deposed the child emperor Romulus Augustulus and became Rex/Dux (476–493). Odoacer's overthrow of Romulus August ...

's rule. He was

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...

and ''

Praefectus urbi The ''praefectus urbanus'', also called ''praefectus urbi'' or urban prefect in English, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, a ...

'' of Rome in 486 and

Praetorian prefect of Italy The praetorian prefecture of Italy ( la, Praefectura praetorio Italiae, in its full form (until 356) ) was one of four praetorian prefectures into which the Late Roman Empire was divided. It comprised the Italian peninsula, the Western Balkans, ...

from 486 to 493.

Life

Decius was the son of Caecina Decius Basilius, consul in 463, and brother of

Decius Marius Venantius Basilius Decius Marius Venantius Basilius ( 484) was a Roman official under Odoacer's rule. Biography He was the son of Caecina Decius Basilius and the brother of Caecina Mavortius Basilius Decius and Caecina Decius Maximus Basilius, all Roman Consuls. ...

(consul in 484), and Basilius (consul in 480, identified with

Caecina Decius Maximus Basilius Caecina Decius Maximus Basilius ( 480–483), was a Roman politician. He was the first consul appointed under Odoacer's rule (480), and afterwards was Praetorian prefect of Italy.John Moorhead"The Decii under Theoderic" '' Historia: Zeitschrift f ...

); thus he was member of the ''gens'' Caecinia. He had a son,

Vettius Agorius Basilius Mavortius Vettius Agorius Basilius Mavortius ( 527–534) was a Roman aristocrat who lived during Ostrogothic rule. He was appointed consul for 527. Biography Mavortius was probably the son of Caecina Mavortius Basilius Decius, consul in 486, and related ...

, who was consul in 527. Decius returned to favor under the rule of

Theodoric the Great Theodoric (or Theoderic) the Great (454 – 30 August 526), also called Theodoric the Amal ( got, , *Þiudareiks; Greek: , romanized: ; Latin: ), was king of the Ostrogoths (471–526), and ruler of the independent Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy ...

, by reclaiming a portion of the

Pontine Marshes 250px, Lake Fogliano, a coastal lagoon in the Pontine Plain The Pontine Marshes (, also ; it, Agro Pontino , formerly also ''Paludi Pontine''; la, Pomptinus Ager by Titus Livius, ''Pomptina Palus'' (singular) and ''Pomptinae Paludes'' (plu ...

at his own expense. He was praised for this in a letter signed by Theodoric, and Decius set up an inscription at

Terracina Terracina is an Italian city and '' comune'' of the province of Latina, located on the coast southeast of Rome on the Via Appia ( by rail). The site has been continuously occupied since antiquity. History Ancient times Terracina appears in anc ...

stating this was done by the command of king Theodoric. Around 510, Decius was one of five senators appointed to investigate charges that the ''

vir inlustris The title ''vir illustris'' ('illustrious man') is used as a formal indication of standing in late antiquity to describe the highest ranks within the senates of Rome and Constantinople. All senators had the title ''vir clarissimus'' ('very famou ...

'' Basilius and Praetextatus had practiced

black magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 14 ...

.Cassiodorus, ''Variae'' IV.22; translated by Barnish, ''Cassiodorus'', pp. 77f

Notes

Bibliography

* Bury, John Bagnell, ''History of the Later Roman Empire'', vol. 1 (Courier Dover Publications, 1958) , p. 409. (The reference is both very slight and secondary, and should probably be omitted; but if kept, the work is online in its entirety, and the passage i
here
) {{DEFAULTSORT:Decius, Caecina Mavortius Basilius 5th-century Romans 5th-century Roman consuls Caecinae Caecina Mavortius Basilius Imperial Roman consuls Praetorian prefects of Italy Urban prefects of Rome Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown