ancient torture technology

[Quintus Aurelius Lepidus]

hi

does someone have more information regarding ancient torture techniques and ancient torture devices?

tnx.

[66kbm]

Crucifiction......nasty.
Kevin

[Nathan Ross]

As this is in the References and Reviews section, I thought you might be intending to review a few torturing options for us! :-P

Most Roman torture in literary sources (the more crazed martyr stories excepted) seems to involve flogging, burning with irons and stretching with racks and suchlike. Prior to the Antonine Constitution of AD212 (or thereabouts), Roman citizens were immune from torture, but after that those in the lower social gradation (humiliores) became torturable, and within another century or so all sorts of people were being tortured and burned alive. Progress, of a sort...

Meanwhile, you might find this thread interesting:

Catapults as torture devices

[Robert]

I have read a testimony of a slave was not permissable in court unless extracted under torture. There may be clues in persuing that line. I suppose any means of inflicting pain mechanicly would be used, but also a medication as henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) could be used to invoke terrible cramps and hullicinations. Use too much and it was curtains .....

[Sean Manning]

I have also seen it said that the torture rack was adapted from a Greek medical device, and that one of the cuneiform sources from Alexander's days seems to mention him using one (see Jona Lendering's website). Plutarch's Artaxerxes and Ctesias' Persica both have stories of torturers in the service of Achaemenid kings.

[Vindex]

I think the ingenious ways in the Lives of the Saints for disposing of Chritians/making Martyrs should be a good source of ideas!

[Roberto Romani]

I don't want derail the discussion but, does this mean that the Costitutio Antoniniana with one hand gave the citizenship to most of the people of the Empire but, with the other one, permitted the use of torture on the very same citizens? More or less.

[Nathan Ross]

does this mean that the Costitutio Antoniniana with one hand gave the citizenship to most of the people of the Empire but, with the other one, permitted the use of torture on the very same citizens?

Caracalla wasn't the pleasantest of people, but his edict wasn't explicitly to make everyone torturable - more taxable! I'm not sure what the process was (it seems very complex and legalistic), but the division between different classes of citizen seems to have come into effect during the third century - it was probably around before that, but after everyone became a citizen in 212 it had a lot more legal impact.

Essentially, as I understand it, honestiores (the rich, the aristocracy, soldiers and civil servants) were still legally immune from torture, and even from prosecution for some crimes. The rest of society (the humiliores) had their rights steadily eroded until their legal status was little better than slaves - they could be tortured, publically beaten with rods, executed etc. Laws of Constantine preserved in the Theodosian code openly state that those of 'honourable rank' should be 'protected from such outrages'. So there literally was one law for the rich and another for the poor!

Someone with some grounding in Roman law could probably give further detail about when and how this change occured... I'd be interested to know more myself.