Killing and The Psychological Cost.

[john m roberts]

Ancient peoples lived in a world rather different from our own. Bloodshed was an integral part of religion, for instance. In Rome, not only religious ceremony but public business was accompanied by slaughter. government transactions literally had no legal standing unless blood had been shed first. And this doesn't even take into account the venatio and gladiatorial games. Romans in particular seem to have been greatly reassured by bloodshed. It meant all was right with the world. Add to this a civic moral code that held that compassion was a weakness and compassion for an enemy was positively evil and you have the formula for a soldiery of compunctionless killers.