Crucifictions

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Crucifictions

Postby Tiberius Dionysius Draco on Sun Nov 23, 2003 2:27 pm

Salvete Romani,

there are a few things that I have been wondering about lately, concerning crucifictions:

- what crime did you have to commit to be crucified?
- is it true that crucified convicts weren't buried?

Can anybody help me out?

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Re: Crucifictions

Postby Horatius Piscinus on Wed Nov 26, 2003 3:40 pm

Salve

Tiberius Dionysius Draco wrote:- what crime did you have to commit to be crucified?


Crucifixion was reserved for slaves who committed a capital crime such as rebellion, or those convicted of certain crimes that would have first removed their citizenship. Rabirius, tried for perduellio, faced crucifixion, or so his defense counsel Cicero said. Generally it is said that the crime of treason. was punished by crucifixion. That is not so, I do not think maiestus was so punished, perduellio implied treason by way of sacrelige.

Tiberius Dionysius Draco wrote:- is it true that crucified convicts weren't buried?
,


There was an open pit where the bodies of slaves and the very poor were tossed and then covered in lime. I suppose you are referring to that. Those who died on the crucifix were left there for dogs and wild animals to gnaw on, for a while. I do not know how long but that was regarded as part of the punishment. They would then have been tossed into the common pit. Regarded a greater disgrace would be to toss their remains into the Tiber to be washed to the sea. Conceivably family members could still bury these criminals and give them proper rites. Sulla desecrated the body of Marius, and Rabirius that of Saturnius, to prevent their families from recovering the bodies for burial. But there was nothing that really required crucified criminals not be buried.

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