• Slaves replaced Romans in the fields and in the workhouses, and slaves continued to entertain the Romans in the gladiatorial arena. It is here that the tale of the most dangerous slave in Roman history emerges- Spartacus.
Spartacus • veteran of the Roman army, who "had since been a prisoner and sold for a gladiator". Escaping from a gladiator
The most common punishments : • Beheading (percussio securi) • Strangling in prison (strangulatio) • Throwing a criminal from that part of the prison called Robur (precipitatio de robore) • Throwing a criminal from the Tarpeian rock (dejectio e rupe Tarpeia) • Crucifixion (in crucem actio) • Burying a person alive • Throwing a criminal into the river (projectio in profluentem). • Killed by wild beasts
• decimation (from the Latin word meaning ten), this practice involves dividing the units into groups of ten and drawing lots. The soldier that drew the unfortunate lot was killed by his remaining 9 comrades (either by stoning or clubbing). This practice was used on mutinous or cowardly units and was meant to send a message to the entire legion about discipline and behavior in battle.
• Flogging or scourging • short whip called a Flagrum • was intended to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse or death • flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. Pain and blood loss