How Did Ancient Greek And Romans Use Corporal Punishment
Society could easily choose banishment rather than use corporal or capital punishment to deal with criminals. I associated corporal or capital punishment torture, serious bodily harm or death. Explaining the history of corporal and capital punishments well help a reader get a better understanding of the issues surrounding those types of punishment. Instead of killing a person or torturing them I believe banishment to be a more humane way to punish someone. Ancient Greeks and Ancient Romans to various civilizations in the world use corporal punishment and capital punishment to kill or inflict great pain against a person who defies the King or Religious authority. Corporal punishment was used to cause pain and discomfort; unfortunately, there
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were times when some methods of corporal punishment caused death. Some examples of corporal punishment include public whippings, pressing, stocks, and pillory (Mays & Winfree, 2009). Public whipping or flogging is the oldest and most common form of corporal punishment. Public beatings occur when a person is strapped in a position and beaten with a “rod or whip” (Abbott, 2010). Stocks are utilized to secure people for trial and later they were used to punish individuals who were drunk in public. A person sat a stock, while they were required to place their hands and feet in holes which were bored into a piece of timber (Mays & Winfree, 2009). Pillory is a similar corporal punishment to stocks. Pillory involves a person placed on a piece of wood that is attached to a post. The offender puts their head and hands through the holes on the piece of timber. Pillars were designed to shame an offender, but there were times where crowds gather and would attack the offender who secures in the pillar (Mays & Winfree, 2009). Pressing is a highly extreme form of corporal punishment, and it is used to force an offender to confess. Pressing requires an offender to be placed under and board; after that, weights are added on top of the board until the person either admits to something or dies (Mays & Winfree, 2009).
Capital punishment involves some act that results in the death of an offender.
Throughout time, some methods used in capital punishment include crucifixion, breaking on the wheel, hanging, beheading, disembowelment, drawing, and quartering all of which results in the death of the offender (Mays & Winfree, 2009). Ancient Greeks and Romans used crucifixion, breaking on the wheel, and disembowelment as a method to provide the opportunity for someone to confess before the died. In the Middle Ages, hanging, beheading, disembowelment, drawing, and quartering was used to put political criminals to death. Lastly, people who committed crimes and they had no status, commonly referred to as commoners, were put to death “quickly by hanging or being impaled on a stake” (Mays & Winfree, 2009, p. 35).
Some early civilizations considered banishment a far worse punishment than death. The belief was if a person was required to stay away from all that they know like life, community, family, and friends, then it was better off to be dead. Also, later banishment became a way for criminals to get a reprieve from a death sentence as long as they agreed to be banished. Those people who agreed to deportation were required to be indentured servants, or they performed some other function during their banishment. Once deported a person could not
return.
Personally, I believe exile is more humane than corporal and capital punishments. First, with corporal and capital punishment involves some sort of embarrassment coupled with disfigurement or death; whereas, banishment requires leaving your support structure which includes people you know and trust. So, examining corporal and capital punishment and looking at it at face value and then comparing it with banishment I could easily say walking away with your life would be the most beneficial thing about exile. The only problem foreseeable would be where a person was banished to. In some societies, banishment could be considered less humane due to the fact they were required to leave family, friend, civilization and fend for themselves without a support structure.
In conclusion, people in some societies would commit suicide or prefer a death sentence over banishment. Personally, being required to go to a location and live in an unfamiliar environment without a support structure could be detrimental; however, anytime someone has a chance at life they should take the opportunity to live another day. Humans are resilient, and it is possible to overcome the odds and survive.
were times when some methods of corporal punishment caused death. Some examples of corporal punishment include public whippings, pressing, stocks, and pillory (Mays & Winfree, 2009). Public whipping or flogging is the oldest and most common form of corporal punishment. Public beatings occur when a person is strapped in a position and beaten with a “rod or whip” (Abbott, 2010). Stocks are utilized to secure people for trial and later they were used to punish individuals who were drunk in public. A person sat a stock, while they were required to place their hands and feet in holes which were bored into a piece of timber (Mays & Winfree, 2009). Pillory is a similar corporal punishment to stocks. Pillory involves a person placed on a piece of wood that is attached to a post. The offender puts their head and hands through the holes on the piece of timber. Pillars were designed to shame an offender, but there were times where crowds gather and would attack the offender who secures in the pillar (Mays & Winfree, 2009). Pressing is a highly extreme form of corporal punishment, and it is used to force an offender to confess. Pressing requires an offender to be placed under and board; after that, weights are added on top of the board until the person either admits to something or dies (Mays & Winfree, 2009).
Capital punishment involves some act that results in the death of an offender.
Throughout time, some methods used in capital punishment include crucifixion, breaking on the wheel, hanging, beheading, disembowelment, drawing, and quartering all of which results in the death of the offender (Mays & Winfree, 2009). Ancient Greeks and Romans used crucifixion, breaking on the wheel, and disembowelment as a method to provide the opportunity for someone to confess before the died. In the Middle Ages, hanging, beheading, disembowelment, drawing, and quartering was used to put political criminals to death. Lastly, people who committed crimes and they had no status, commonly referred to as commoners, were put to death “quickly by hanging or being impaled on a stake” (Mays & Winfree, 2009, p. 35).
Some early civilizations considered banishment a far worse punishment than death. The belief was if a person was required to stay away from all that they know like life, community, family, and friends, then it was better off to be dead. Also, later banishment became a way for criminals to get a reprieve from a death sentence as long as they agreed to be banished. Those people who agreed to deportation were required to be indentured servants, or they performed some other function during their banishment. Once deported a person could not
return.
Personally, I believe exile is more humane than corporal and capital punishments. First, with corporal and capital punishment involves some sort of embarrassment coupled with disfigurement or death; whereas, banishment requires leaving your support structure which includes people you know and trust. So, examining corporal and capital punishment and looking at it at face value and then comparing it with banishment I could easily say walking away with your life would be the most beneficial thing about exile. The only problem foreseeable would be where a person was banished to. In some societies, banishment could be considered less humane due to the fact they were required to leave family, friend, civilization and fend for themselves without a support structure.
In conclusion, people in some societies would commit suicide or prefer a death sentence over banishment. Personally, being required to go to a location and live in an unfamiliar environment without a support structure could be detrimental; however, anytime someone has a chance at life they should take the opportunity to live another day. Humans are resilient, and it is possible to overcome the odds and survive.