this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2024
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Explanation: Decimation was a military punishment in the Roman Empire, used primarily in the days of the Republic, and even then only rarely. In the case of extreme cowardice or mutiny of an entire unit, the unit would be condemned to decimation - in which they would be split into groups of 10 men, and draw lots or straws. The one who drew the shortest straw was then condemned to be beaten to death by the other 9. This was seen, to the Romans, both as a punishment and a redemption, as by participating as executors, the surviving soldiers are punished, but also are resubmitting to military discipline and enforcing it in the unit.
It was considered, even by Roman standards, to be a very harsh punishment, and only a handful of examples of the punishment are known to have been carried out, and each time it was considered a major and shocking event.
Interesting as well, as well … disgusting! I'm glad, that I wasn't born into that era.
The past is very often a brutal place! We live in deeply imperfect times in the modern day, and should not be satisfied with the flaws our societies have now, but it's good to reflect every once in a while how far we've come.
True (even though some try with all their might to turn back to the "great old times").
Make SPQR Magna Again!
Get out of here Caligula
Combover Caligula
God-damn, as an American, that just killed the humor vibe right there. :(
Don't worry, Caligula didn't win in the end.
Yes, but everybody lost :(
Caligula was succeeded by Claudius, whose reign was noble and fair. The golden age of the Five Good Emperors was yet to come. It ain't over until we stop fighting. o7
For the rich you mean? Probably wasn't much different for commoners and slaves.
Claudius opened up citizenship to the majority of the population of the Empire, granted slaves some of their first rights under Roman law, exempted hard-pressed local communities from taxes, built massive amounts of infrastructure for the usage of the public, repealed taxes on food, stabilized the grain supply to the city of Rome, expanded the Imperial bureaucracy of freedmen, and actually executed a large number of the wealthy elite for their plotting.
Wow Claudius sounds cool indeed.