Caecina Mavortius Basilius Decius ( 486–510) was a Roman politician under Odoacer'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 thro ...

and '' Praefectus urbi'' of Rome in 486 and Praetorian prefect of Italy from 486 to 493.

Life

Decius was the son of Caecina Decius Basilius, consul in 463, and brother of Decius Marius Venantius Basilius (consul in 484), and Basilius (consul in 480, identified with Caecina Decius Maximus Basilius); thus he was a member of the ''gens'' Caecinia. He had a son, Vettius Agorius Basilius Mavortius, who was consul in 527. Decius returned to favor under the rule of Theodoric the Great, by reclaiming a portion of the Pontine Marshes at his own expense. He was praised for this in a letter signed by Theodoric, and Decius set up an inscription at Terracina 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'' Basilius and Praetextatus had practiced black magic.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 western Roman consuls Caecinae Caecina Mavortius Basilius Praetorian prefects of Italy Urban prefects of Rome Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown