10 non-mythological facts about crucifixion - a very common Roman execution in ancient times

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Physical abuse and torture have been practiced in society for centuries. They were used to get information, to force a person to do something that he did not want to do, or as a punishment. Different cultures have their own methods of torture. The Romans used crucifixion extensively. And nail wounds were far from the only cause of anguish experienced by a person on the cross. Modern doctors know exactly what happened to the man who was crucified.

1. Crushed leg bones

In some cases, the executioner had to speed up the execution. To do this, the victim's legs were broken, breaking the thigh bones with a large, heavy hammer. This prevented the person from standing up to breathe normally, so he gasped for breath faster. It is also argued that a broken hip bone is one of the most painful things a person can experience.

The physical pain with simultaneous crushing of both thighs is colossal. Moreover, the psychological torture associated with the feeling of approaching death was mentally unbearable. All this led to the acceleration of the onset of death.

2. Nerves damaged by nails

The nails driven into the wrists pierced not only the flesh, but also the nerves. Every time the victim stood on tiptoe to be able to breathe, it caused intense pain.

3. Nine-tailed flogging

The crucifixion process involved more than just nailing someone to a cross or tree. Prior to this brutal execution, the victim was beaten with a nine-tailed whip, each with metal tips and bone scraps attached to the ends. The executioner tied or chained the victim to a wooden post, after which the soldiers beat the unfortunate. Pieces of bone and metal at the ends of the "tails" of the whips tore apart the skin and muscles of a person, disfiguring him beyond recognition.

4. Splinters of a wooden post

After flogging with nine-tail whips, the victim was forced to carry a heavy wooden cross to the place of crucifixion. Since the wood was not processed and smooth, and the man was practically naked, splinters pierced his body. The same thing continued after nailing down. Each time the convict shifted his weight from his feet to his arms and then stood up on tiptoe again, his back rubbed against rough, often split wood, damaging the flesh even more.

5. Hypovolemic shock

The initial beating was enough to trigger the onset of hypovolemic shock, which occurs when a person loses 20% or more of their blood. The loss of blood led to a depletion of oxygen levels in the body. As a result, this state of shock could lead to death. Symptoms of hypovolemic shock include nausea, profuse sweating, dizziness, turbidity, and loss of consciousness. The victims often vomited, which in some cases accelerated the rate of suffocation.

6. Dislocation of the shoulders

This happened at the beginning of the crucifixion. The vertical post was already dug into the ground. The victim's hands were first nailed to a horizontal bar (which the person being executed actually brought on his back), and then the person was lifted to nail this bar to the post. The entire body weight fell on the hands, which caused the shoulder joints to pop out of the nests.

The body then slid down the cross, causing the wrists to dislocate. As a result, the arms were lengthened by at least 15 centimeters. Because of this, the body hung on the cross, leaning forward. And the consequence of such a posture was that a person could inhale, but almost could not exhale. Accordingly, carbon dioxide was not released from the body as it happens during the natural breathing process.

7. Shock and hyperventilation

Since the human body did not receive enough oxygen, hyperventilation had to become a natural physiological process. The heart began to beat faster, trying to compensate for the lack of oxygen. Then came a heart attack, which could even lead to rupture of the heart inside the chest cavity.

Hyperventilation symptoms include fever and anxiety. Fever causes muscle pain. Since the muscles were already experiencing cramps and spasms, this further exacerbated the pain. Considering the fact that the victim was literally dying in pain, she was very nervous (which is not surprising). The combination of this with the physiological reactions of the body caused a shock to the central nervous system.

8. Muscle cramps and spasms

When the victim was hanging on the cross, the knees were bent at a 45-degree angle. This forced the person to essentially keep the weight of the body on the muscles of the thighs. Everyone can try for themselves what it is like, bending your knees and standing in a half-squat for at least five minutes. And the crucified people hung like this for hours and even days. The legs "resisted" such loads through cramps and muscle spasms that occur.

9. Pain in vital organs

The natural way to supply oxygen to vital organs is through blood flow. The free movement of the outer limbs of the body (arms and legs) and their interaction with gravity facilitate this process. But on the cross, the immobility of the arms and legs, combined with natural gravity, caused the blood to drain downward, which prevented vital organs from receiving the proper flow of oxygen.

Naturally, the organs reacted to this by giving signals that “something was wrong” through pain. Thus, along with all the other excruciating torture on the cross, the oxygen-deprived bodies experienced excruciating pain.

10. Inevitable death

Crucifixion led to an inevitable painful death. A person could die for hours or even days. In order to breathe normally, the victim had to strain to get up even a little. But as the muscles of the legs got tired, the person "sagged" and gradually suffocated.