Lewis & Short

dĕcem-vĭri (in MSS. and old edd. often Xviri), um or ōrum (gen.-virum, Cic. Agr. 2, 15, 39; 2, 21, 56; id. Rep. 2, 36, 61; Varr. L. L. 9, § 85 Müll.; Liv. 27, 8; 40, 12: -virorum only in Liv., where it is very freq.), m. [vir], a college or commission of ten men, the decemviri or decemvirs, Roman magistrates of various kinds.

  1. I. The most famous were called decemviri legibus scribundis, the composers of the Twelve Tables, who ruled alone, and absolutely, in the years of Rome 303 to 305 (legally only 303 and 304; hence "neque decemviralis potestas ultra biennium," Tac. A. 1, 1), Cic. Rep. 2, 36 sq.; Liv. 3, 32 sq.; Gell. 20, 1, 3.
    In sing., Cic. Rep. 2, 36 fin.; Liv. 3, 33 fin.; 40; 46; 48 al. The fragments which remain of these laws form one of the most important monuments of the early Latin language; and have been critically edited by R. Schoell, Leips., 1866; cf. Momms. Rom. Hist. book 2, ch. 2; Lange, Röm. Alter. 1, 535 sqq.; Wordsworth, Fragm. p. 503 sq.
  2. II. Decemviri stlitibus (litibus) judicandis, a standing tribunal for deciding causes involving liberty or citizenship, and which represented the praetor, Cic. Or. 46, 156; Suet. Aug. 36; Dig. 1, 2, 2, § 29; Corp. Inscr. Lat. 8, 38 (A. U. C. 615); cf. Cic. Caec. 33, 97.
    In the sing., Inscr. Orell. no. 133 and 554.
  3. III. Decemviri agris dividundis, a commission for distributing the public land to the people, Cic. Agr. 1, 6 sq.; 2, 7 sq.; Liv. 31, 4 and 42; cf.: X. VIR. A. D. A. (i. e. decemviri agris dandis assignandis), Inscr. Orell. 544.
  4. IV. Decemviri sacris faciundis, a college of priests who preserved the Sibylline books, had charge of the Apollinaria, etc.; its number in the time of the emperors was increased to sixty, Liv. 10, 8; 25, 12 al.
    In sing., Inscr. Orell. 554.