Most people know that the Christian deity Jesus was said to have been crucified by the Romans in 33 A.D. As the story goes, on Passover weekend, he visited Jerusalem and was taken by the Romans. He was whipped with a flagrum, had to carry the crossbeam through the city, and then was nailed and possibly tied to the cross and left to die. But did you know that Jesus was just one of thousands of victims throughout history?
First, it is important to understand what crucifixion actually is. It does not have to be done on a cross and it does not have to include being tied or nailed to something. Instead, by definition, it is a public execution that produces a great deal of pain, and usually includes having the body raised off of the ground.
1. The Assyrians
The earliest record of crucifixion comes from the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians would impale victims on a wooden pole, or sometimes just their heads, and leave them on display. This was used as a form of psychological warfare, and also as a method of control.
2. Alexander the Great
Alexander the great, the great ancient Macedonian king, crucified people by the thousands. When he took the Phoenician city of Tyre, it is believed that Alexander the Great crucified upwards of 2,000 people, and, like the Assyrians, left the bodies to rot as a sign of his ultimate power, and as a warning against any uprisings against him.
3. The Roman Empire
This is probably the most well-known empire when it comes to crucifixion, probably because of the story of Jesus. In the Roman Empire, crucifixion was used as a punishment for slaves, rebels, pirates, enemies, and criminals. Rome was notorious for mass executions by crucifixion, one of the most famous coming in 73 B.C. In that year, the Roman army subdued a slave uprising in modern-day Italy. They crucified 6,000 slaves along a “highway” known as the Appian Way. The bodies went on for 130 miles.
4. Japan
In Japan, crucifixion was a bit different. Like the Romans, the Japanese used an uppercase T-shaped cross. However, the difference came in the act of execution. Once the victim was on the cross, two executioners would stand on either side and thrust a spear through his body, making death instantaneous. The most famous of these Japanese crucifixions came in 1597, when 26 Christian missionaries were crucified together in Nagasaki.
5. Nazi Germany
This is something a lot of people don’t know about, but really isn’t all that surprising. Nazis used crucifixion as a form of punishment and torture against the Jews, among other groups. Their methods were slightly different from those employed by Rome, though. The Nazis would use a single pole, and would have the victims’ hands behind their backs as they hung. In addition, they did not nail or tie the feet, and victims were simply left hanging. This most likely hastened death by putting more stress on the lungs.
6. Darfur
Crucifixion always sounds like something from the past; something cruel tyrants used in ancient times, but not so much these days. Unfortunately, that is not true. In war-torn Sudan, and particularly in the region of Darfur, crucifixion is a legal, government-backed, form of execution. It is part of the government’s interpretation of Sharia Law. Crucifixion is also on the books in Iran, though it is not practiced there. In contrast, the Sudanese government regularly sentences criminals to crucifixion.
