Ancient Death Penalty Techniques
Death penalty is the maximum punishment for a crime. It is known that the death penalty has existed since the 18th century BC in the Babylonian civilization. The execution or sentence of the death penalty for the Babylonians referred to the Book/Law of King Hammurabi which regulated the death penalty for twenty-five types of crimes. In ancient Egypt the use of the death penalty began in the 16th century BC. Those who received the death penalty for committing crimes in the form of using magic, committing crimes against nobles, and killing other people. During this period, non-nobles in Egypt executed the axe.
In the 14th century BC, the Hittie Book also mentions the death penalty. Whereas in Athens the death penalty was in effect since the 7th century BC with the Draconian Book as the rule. In the 5th century BC, capital punishment in Rome was based on the Law of the Twelve Tablets. Execution of the death penalty varied for nobles, freedmen, and slaves. In addition, there are also different punishments for crimes such as slandering and insulting, cutting or taking crops planted by farmers, burning from inside the house or piles of corn near the house, cheating to protect his client, perjury, making disturbances at night in the city. ,
willful killing, theft by a slave. The cruel Roman death penalty could include crucifixion, drowning in the sea, burial alive, bludgeoning, and impalement. The Romans also had the term "curious punishment" which was intended for the murder of a father or parent. In 399 BC, Socrates - Greek philosopher - was sentenced to drink poison for heresy.
The Greeks were no less sadistic. They had many techniques for capital punishment, such as stoning, hanging, beheading, crucifixion (following the Romans), throwing criminals into ravines, and sawing bodies in pieces. The most famous execution in history is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in AD 29 outside Jerusalem. About 300 years later, Emperor Constantine abolished all such cruel executions in the Roman Empire after he converted to Christianity.
England is a country that has a long history of the death penalty. In 450 BC, capital punishment in England consisted of throwing the criminal in
cursed swamp. Beginning in the 10th century AD, hanging was the most frequently used technique of capital punishment. King William the Conqueror of England forbade his subjects from killing - except in conditions of war - and ordered that no one be hanged or executed for any offences. However, he would mutilate criminals for their crimes. During the Middle Ages, the death penalty was also accompanied by prior torture.
In medieval England, burning was the punishment for high treason. There is also a hanging sentence whereby the body of the accused will be pulled to pieces. Generally, beheadings were carried out for defendants who came from high society. Marrying a Jew was also a crime and the punishment was arson. There are also “stressful punishments” for those who do not want to admit their crimes. The executioner would place a heavy weight on the victim's chest. Then on the first day, he would feed the defendant some bread, the next day and so on he would only be given dirty water to drink until the defendant confessed or died.
During the reign of King Henry VIII of England, an estimated 72,000 people were executed. Boiling to death was a legal punishment in 1531. There are records showing that some people were boiled for up to 2 hours. When a woman was sentenced to be burned, the executioner would tie her to a stake and her neck would be tied with a rope, which was held by the executioner at the end of the rope. When the fire reaches the defendant, then he can be strangled from outside the ring of fire. However, this often failed as they were left burning alive.
Meanwhile, in America, the Aztecs also had a cruel death penalty. Children under the age of 10 who commit acts of assault or beating their parents can be sentenced to death. Both children and adults can be executed in various ways, including kingship, disembowelment, namely slicing the body to open the chest cavity and removing the liver or other organs.
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