DecuriônEs

Decuriônes magistrates in the Roman provinces, who formed a body to represent the Roman Senate in free and corporate towns. Each decurion consisted of ten persons; and their duty was to watch over the interests of their fellow- citizens, and to increase the revenues of the commonwealth. The early Church was compelled to make laws to prevent the ordination of any man of this class as a presbyter or deacon. Instances had occurred in which presbyters had been compelled, after thirty years' service as ministers of Christ, to resume their curial offices. In some cases, after ordination, they were required to serve as flamens, and were crowned as heathen priests, while they exhibited the public games and shows to the people. The law forbidding the ordination of such persons was enacted to prevent this scandal. — Bingham, Orig. Eccl. bk. 4, ch. 4, § 4.