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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bart9349, post: 1254051, member: 5682&quot;]Mat and Ancient Doug: Thank you both for taking the time to read my post and responding. When this forum’s tresviri monetales speak, I will always listen. :thumb:</p><p><br /></p><p>I was initially hesitant to use the adjective “treacherous” to describe Decius.</p><p><br /></p><p>I rejected the words “notorious” or “infamous” because they seem to reflect an even greater pro-Christian anti-pagan bias.&nbsp; Instead, I settled on the word “treacherous.” Let me explain why.</p><p><br /></p><p>You know the story as well as anyone.&nbsp; In the Roman Senate, Decius had initially strongly supported Phillip’s reign after Phillip had offered to resign because of the pressures of the job. Decius went on to serve the Emperor Phillip courageously by defeating the usurper Pacatian and pushing back invading barbarian tribes. Later, after some coercion from the men in his legions, Decius decided to exert some pressure or demands on the Emperor. At that point Decius was transformed from a loyal general to a potential usurper.</p><p><br /></p><p>For this reason, I think the word “treacherous” is appropriate. It is hard to imagine any former entrusted supporter who later tries to usurp power is anything else but “treacherous.”</p><p><br /></p><p>As a side note, Decius’s persecution of a small and relatively peaceful minority (the Christians) was a fruitless waste of resources. It is important to note that only ten years later, one of his successors, Gallienus, halted this divisive and senseless persecution.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Thank you, again, for reading and responding to my post.</p><p><br /></p><p>guy</p><p><br /></p><p>Addendum:&nbsp; Much of our information about Decius’s “reluctant elevation to Emperor” comes from the unreliable and biased Zosimus. He was a pagan who wrote about Decius 250 years after the fact. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>For perspective, read Zosimus’s propaganda about the “excellent emperor Dacius” and his betrayal to the Goths by Gallus.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/zosimus01_book1.htm" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/zosimus01_book1.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/zosimus01_book1.htm</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I doubt any army would later follow a general who knowingly allowed a Roman army to be destroyed (or worse, follow someone who actively betrayed the army to the enemy).[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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