Decemviri

Quick Facts: Who was Decemviri?

Subject:

Decemviri

Known for:

Ten-man commissions in the Roman Republic tasked with writing and reforming law.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The decemviri or decemvirs (Latin for "ten men") refer to official ten-man commissions established by the Roman Republic. The most important were those of the two decemvirates, formally the decemvirate with consular power for writing laws (Latin: decemviri consulari imperio legibus scribundis) who reformed and codified Roman law during the Conflict of the Orders between ancient Rome's patrician aristocracy and plebeian commoners. Other decemviri include the decemviri for adjudging litigation (decemviri stlitibus judicandis), the decemviri for making sacrifices (decemviri sacris faciundis), and the decemviri for the assignment and giving of arable lands (decemviri agris dandis adsignandis). Gaius Terentilius Harsa, a plebeian tribune, wished to protect the plebeian population by curtailing the power of the Roman consuls. To do this, he proposed a law in 462 BC which provided for a five-man commission to define their power.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The patricians were opposed to this curtailment and managed to postpone the debate on this law for eight years. In 454 BC the plebeian tribunes dropped their pursuit of this law. They asked the senate to "consent to the appointment of a body of legislators, chosen in equal numbers from plebeians and patricians to enact what would be useful to both orders and secure equal liberty for each". The patricians replied that this was worthy of consideration, but said that only patricians could legislate. Although disputed by historians such as Niebuhr, Cornell and Grant, according to Livy and Dionysius, three envoys were sent to Athens to study the Law of Solon and question more about the laws of Greek city-states.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 452 BCE the envoys "returned with the laws of Athens". The plebeian tribunes pressed to begin the compilation of the laws. It was agreed to appoint decemviri with consular powers which would not be subject to appeal and were to suspend both the consulship and the plebeian tribunate. Thus establishing the decemvirate as a political institution with the power to compile laws. After a debate about whether plebeians should sit on the decemvirate, the plebeian tribunes agreed to a patrician-only panel in exchange for a law they had passed not being repealed.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Decemviri

True or False: “The initial proposal for a five-man commission to limit consular power was immediately accepted by the Roman Senate.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The patricians opposed the curtailment of consular power and managed to postpone the debate on Gaius Terentilius Harsa's law for eight years.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Declaration of independence — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A formal assertion by a polity that it is independent and constitutes a sovereign state.
• Declaration of Sovereignty of the Chechen Republic — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Formal declaration asserting the state sovereignty of the Chechen Republic.
• Decline and modernization of the Ottoman Empire — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The complex decline and forced modernization of the Ottoman Empire in the face of European power.
• Decline of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The gradual decline of Buddhism in India, influenced by Hinduism's rise and political shifts.
• Decolonisation of Africa — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The political process by which African colonies gained sovereignty from European powers.
• Decolonisation of Asia — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The gradual process leading to self-governance and nation-states across Asian territories.

Frequently Asked Questions about Decemviri