Decius Mus
Encyclopedia
Publius Decius Mus is the name of three Romans
who (according to legend) sacrificed themselves in battle, in the belief that the infernal gods would then destroy their enemies.
Having been forewarned in a dream that his troops would falter and retreat, he threw himself into the heart of the battle, sacrificing his own life in an effort to spur his men. The soldiers took courage from him, regrouped and won the day.
The father (a consul
) did this when fighting in the Latin War
in 339 BC at the Battle of Vesuvius
. His son, also a consul, did this while fighting a combined force of Samnites, Gauls
and Etruscans in 295 BC. Finally, the grandson followed in their footsteps, dying at Asculum
in 279 BC, as recorded by Cicero
.
Sir Peter Paul Rubens recorded his conception of the father in a 1617 oil painting.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
who (according to legend) sacrificed themselves in battle, in the belief that the infernal gods would then destroy their enemies.
Having been forewarned in a dream that his troops would falter and retreat, he threw himself into the heart of the battle, sacrificing his own life in an effort to spur his men. The soldiers took courage from him, regrouped and won the day.
The father (a consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
) did this when fighting in the Latin War
Latin War
The Latin War was a conflict between the Roman Republic and its neighbors the Latin peoples of ancient Italy. It ended in the dissolution of the Latin League, and incorporation of its territory into the Roman sphere of influence, with the Latins gaining partial rights and varying levels of...
in 339 BC at the Battle of Vesuvius
Battle of Vesuvius
-The Battle of Vesuvius:The Battle of Vesuvius was fought near Mount Vesuvius in 340 BC. The battle was fought between the Romans and the Latin army...
. His son, also a consul, did this while fighting a combined force of Samnites, Gauls
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
and Etruscans in 295 BC. Finally, the grandson followed in their footsteps, dying at Asculum
Asculum
Asculum, also known as Ausculum, was the ancient name of two Italian cities.The first is Ascoli Piceno, the Ausculum in ancient Picenum . It is situated in the valley of the Truentus river on the via Salaria. It was originally a Sabine city . Following its defeat by the Romans in 268 BC...
in 279 BC, as recorded by Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
.
Sir Peter Paul Rubens recorded his conception of the father in a 1617 oil painting.