A Shameful Death

​ This week, Christians will be commemorating the last week of Christ's earthly life, known as Holy Week. Because of this, I have decided to blog about a method of execution that was very common in the Roman world: crucifixion. 

To this day, crucifixion is not something people want to discuss. It was a dreadful way to die, and most certainly a cruel method of executing prisoners. People hanging on crossed timbers literally suffocated by their own weight. That, coupled with the agony of having one's hands and feet pierced by long, iron nails, would have been excruciating. And sometimes, to hasten death, legionary soldiers carrying out the execution would break a victim's legs. 

Of course, the most documented and discussed crucifixion in history was that of Jesus of Nazareth, in what was probably 33 AD. People condemned to death by crucifixion were typically non-Roman citizens who had committed a crime, prisoners of war against Rome, disobedient slaves, or persons involved in uprisings against Rome. And that was exactly how the Jewish San Hedrin approached their case against Jesus, before Pontius Pilate.

It wasn't unusual for condemned prisoners to have their name and crime posted on their cross as they suffered. Pontius Pilate did this. He ordered a wooden board placed upon Jesus's cross. Because Jerusalem was a multi-cultural city in the first century, he had his men write Jesus's name/offense in three languages: Aramaic (the lingua franca of ancient Judea), Greek, and of course, Latin. The Latin would have appeared like this, written out: Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum. "INRI" would have been the abbreviated version, as Romans were prone to shorten phrases in inscriptions. The translation of the above would have been: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews". 

In my book, Antonius: Son of Rome, there is a disturbing crucifixion scene that has been historically documented. After Marcus Licinius Crassus defeated Spartacus in his slave revolt, six thousand surviving slaves were crucified along the Appian Way. It must have been a macabre scene--one that could have given an adult nightmares for years, much less a child. 

Sadly, crucifixion continued throughout the Roman period and continues as a harrowing method of execution today in some parts of the world. 

    Rembrandt's depiction of Christ crucified. Note the placard above his head in the three specified languages: Aramaic,                                                                                                     Greek, and Latin.