[UA] Minor cards

[Greg Stolze]

>According to Roman custom, the penalty of crucifixion was always preceded by
>scourging (virgis cædere, Prud., "Enchirid.", xli, 1); after this preliminary
>punishment, the condemned person had to carry the cross, or at least the
>transverse beam of it, to the place of execution (Plut., "Tard. dei
>vind.", ix,
>"Artemid.", II, xli), exposed to the jibes and insults of the people
>(Joseph.,
>"Antiq.", XIX, iii; Plaut., "Most.", I, 1, 52; Dion., VII, 69). On arrival at
>the place of execution the cross was uplifted (Cic., Verr., V, lxvi). Soon
>the
>sufferer, entirely naked, was bound to it with cords (Plin., "Hist. Nat.",
>XXVIII, iv; Auson., "Id.", VI, 60; Lucan, VI, 543, 547), indicated in
>Latin by
>the expressions agere, dare, ferre, or tollere in crucem. He was then, as
>Plautus tells us, fastened with four nails to the wood of the cross ("Lact.",
>IV, 13; Senec., "Vita beat.", 19; Tert., "Adv. Jud.", x; Justus Lipsius " De
>Cruce", II, vii; xli-ii). Finally, a placard called the titulu
>s bearing the name of the condemned man and his sentence, was placed at
>the top
>of the cross (Euseb., "Hist. Eccl", V, 1; Suet., Caligula", xxxviii and
>"Domit." x; Matt., xxvii, 37; John, xix, 19).

Huh.  My suburban legend understanding of crucifixion was that the victim
got nailed before the cross was raised -- so the worst part was when the
cross dropped into its hole.  THUMP!

-G.

I suspect 'dignity' is over rated.  When was the last time you said "Man,
the party was AWESOME!  Everyone was totally dignified!"?



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