Worst Roman Punishment?

[Sextus Roscius]

Yes, it's beleived that he played the lyre since that is how he is pictured in many pictures from after and durring his reign. Though some people think he played the fiddle becuase of the phrase:

 

"Nero fiddled while Rome burned"

 

But, if we take the time to look into the music of the period, one will quickly notice there is no such thing as a fiddle, which is also a violin.

 

BTW I'd heard that women had given birth durring the concerts but I'd never heard that people jumped off the theater walls, thats got to leave a worse headache than Nero's music.

[WotWotius]

the fiddle was probably more likly to have been a lyre

[Lost_Warrior]

Yea I'd heard the thing about the fiddle, but I was like "what the heck" because I really didn't think the violin had been invented yet...

 

I still think it couldn't have been THAT bad as to make people jump to their deaths...but then I've heard some pretty bad music...

 

I wonder...would he murder anyone who could outplay him?

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

Yes, he would and it happened often.

[Sextus Roscius]

I wonder...would he murder anyone who could outplay him?

 

I beleive he eventually has is tutor killed becuase he got mad at Nero.

 

Also, Lost Warrior, it wasn't so much the quality of the music that drove people to death, but the fact that some concerts went on for days. Thought the historians tell us he was only a decent musician rather than a great one, which may have contributed to it. To sum it up, imagine listening to almost constant roman equivilent to elevator music for a couple of days and you can easily see why they commited suicide.

[Lost_Warrior]

lol I would be more concerned with not being able to...um....well...take leave for a few minutes if you catch my drift

 

I guess it never ocurred to him that he could get BETTER by not killing those who could potentially teach him

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

I don't know what you mean by the first sentence, but ok.

 

As for the second sentence, well you know the all-powerful leader mentality. No one should be above the emperor stuff.

I really wonder what during what part of Nero's life spark a great artistic interest in him. It must have been quite random.

[Lost_Warrior]

I don't know what you mean by the first sentence, but ok. smile.gif

 

Ok, to be quite plain, I meant what happens if you have to take a **** in the middle of the concert but aren't allowed to leave? I can't imagine it to be a pleasant experience, especially if it goes on for days.

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

I see, now thats a horrible punishment. I sincerely regard that statement as absurd, even Nero can't last that long without taking a break from playing.

[military]

I wanted to get people's opinions on the worst Roman punishment of the anceint world. Any time period is fine but I thought I might learn something new out of this and might make some people feel sympathetic for the criminals today he heh....

 

Personaly, I think the worst Roman punishment was the punishment for patricide or killing your father. This was considered a act of ultimate evil durring the pagan ages or Rome. The punishment was devised by the Priests of Jupiter rather than the roman politicians. My file name is actually the name fo some one accused of this crime and also the case where Cicero made himself famous

 

The first thing that happened was that you were taken to the feild of Mars outside Rome. they would Then strip you of everything on you and have you put one foot on two pedestals placed a couple feet apart as to expose every part of your body. You were then wipped until there was no difference between flesh and blood on your body. The crowd was free to throw stones at you and about anything they wanted really.

 

After you were completely whipped they took your naked body and but you in a sack with a snake, a chicken and a dog. This was to simbolize the reverse of being born. Thus un-born since you had taken the life of the one that gave life to you, it was seen as fit punishment. After you were in the bag with the other animals they would sow the bag shut and then chuck it in the Tiber. How gruesome

I can only imagaine the poor person who had to do thins... :fish:

 

P.S. not sure why I put the fish thing but I thought it was rather funny at the time...

isn't that punishment pretty muchdeath since most people couldn't swim?

 

-military

 

I always thought that one of Nero's favourite punishments was quite nasty. The offender's penis would be wound with wire, and he would then have to drink water until he died (presumably from a burst bladder).

ouch

-military

[Sextus Roscius]

isn't that punishment pretty muchdeath since most people couldn't swim?

 

-military

 

Yes, it pretty much was, but after being flayed alive and tied in a sack, you were generaly already dead. The chucking in the river was pretty much part of the "undo birth" idea of the tourture/execution.

 

 

I see, now thats a horrible punishment. I sincerely regard that statement as absurd, even Nero can't last that long without taking a break from playing.

 

Nero would take breaks, but the audience would just have to sit there and wait till he came back.

[Lo-Lo]

I always thought that one of Nero's favourite punishments was quite nasty. The offender's penis would be wound with wire, and he would then have to drink water until he died (presumably from a burst bladder).

 

Drinking too much water all in one go can kill you anyway, I think it's something like 15 litres, which washes all the salts from your blood and causes your cells to fail (upsetting the osmotic balance or something), probably before your bladder bursts.

 

Full of useful info me.

[Princeps]

Thought the historians tell us he was only a decent musician rather than a great one, which may have contributed to it.

 

That is debatable imo. Whilst he was a poor charioteer, opinion is split as to his musical merits.

 

'Vitellius, the last of the three Emperors who briefly succeeded him during 68-69, was accustomed to applaud his skill in music - "Now sing me one of the Master's songs" he would say'

[Sextus Roscius]

Get Your self a name change Trajan, I'll still call you Trajan thought. Now if I could get one "formorly known as father-killer...(sextus Rocius commited patricide)

 

Anyways. I had always viewed it from that one point that Nero was a decent musician. I'll look into it more now, thanks Trajan.

[Jimbow]

I once read that Vespasian was lucky when, before becoming Emperor, he fell asleep at one of Nero's concerts but was thankfully only ordered to leave in shame. When at the doorway, unsure of what to do he asked a court official (or slave?) where he should go? The man, causing Vespasian huge embarassment, rudely replied "Go to Hell!"

 

Years later, after Vespasian had beaten Vitellius and became Emperor, the same court official (or slave?) nervously came to him asking what he should do? Vespasian replied, "Go to Hell!"