Definition
decemvirs
noun
- A group of ten magistrates or officials in ancient Rome, especially those appointed to draw up laws.
Usage: historical; plural form; singular is decemvir; most commonly refers to the decemvirs of 451–449 BCE who created the Twelve Tables
Examples
- The decemvirs were tasked with codifying Roman law into a written form.
- In 451 BCE, the decemvirs were elected to draft the Twelve Tables, Rome's first written legal code.
- The power of the decemvirs eventually became tyrannical, leading to their removal.
- Ancient historians recorded the actions of the decemvirs with both admiration and criticism.