[tiamat]

Well, first, I was considering the source: a Canadian rag, so I DID sort of blow it off.

The whole : "there were three methods of execution under the Romans" is just not so.

Without resorting to dragging our my Durants, people seem to be under the impression that the Romans crucified people at the drop of a hat. They did not. Not only were there many different types and severities of crucifixion , in general, crucifixtion was saved for "special" cases and was often a last resort. ( the Spartacan rebellion being the spectacular exception to that) Usually it was just cheaper and easier to hang the sucker.
Also, while the Legions were not a bunch of sweet,sensitive, modern guys, most of them HATED execution detail if it involved crucifixion. No one wanted the duty and I can't blame them, either.

Strangulation or hanging were also popular forms of execution and were more expediant than crucifixion.

There were also differeces in how citizens were handled, as opposed to slaves and NON citizens. Often it was safer to be a slave than to be a citizen under the Romans. A slave is property and therefore some value. Also, citizens were expected to know the law and were held more responsible.

The Roman penalty for denying your citizenship in order to escape persecution ( it happened) was to be tied into a bag with a dog, a rooster and a poisonous snake and then thrown into a river.

And of course many of these rules CHANGE depending on whther we are talking Roman Republic or Imperial Rome....

And rather than continue to flaggilate the deceased equine....

[PeterdeVerona]

And of course many of these rules CHANGE depending on whther we are talking Roman Republic or Imperial Rome....

I do remember reading about one of the Roman Legal codices in which those three forms of punishment were outlined (Beheading, Burning, Crucifixion), and under what conditions. But I can't remember when it was written. I don't think it was the Codex Justinianus, because Crucifixion ought to have been outlawed by then (I think Constantine outlawed it).

[franky]

Jerusalem was not the best duty for a Roman soldier. In fact it was a place where most of the rejects were sent. The movie is probably closer to the Roman's mentality and attitude than most of us realize.