Later Roman Military Punishments

[Nathan Ross]

I'm getting you to do all the work here!

Pushing me in the right direction, I like to think!

Do we have a text that equates castigatio with torture in the case of decurions?

Isn't it that castigatio (corporal punishment) in a military environment seems to be synonymous with fustibus (beating with sticks), which is specifically ruled out in the case of decurions and other honestiores... which in turn suggests a very contemporary-sounding debate on what does and does not consitute 'torture' - you can hit a soldier with a stick and it's 'castigation'. But if you do the same to a decurion it's 'cruel and unusual punishment'... even though both men are supposedly 'honorable'.

Actually this is perhaps nothing very new - I believe all citizens in the late republic and principiate were legally immune from torture and execution, but citizen soldiers were regularly beaten and executed for military offences.