> Decimated? An over/mis-used/understood term, crushed/destroyed/ass kicked with those numbers. I’d prefer annihilated, but there are too many libs.
You’re right. Originally, it was a term used to punish soldiers who did bad in battle. Every tenth man was to step forward and be killed as a lesson to the others.
Genghis Khan did it during a particular siege that was taking too long so he could feed the rest of his now highly motivated men.