Crucifixion
Image taken from about.com
It is known as one of the worst ways a person can die. This method of capital punishment was used by many ancient empires as a way to spread fear. It kept enemies and citizens fearful of any kind of uprising or battles. The method used was by placing the convicted person on a wooden beam, stretching their arms and legs to the limit and nailing them into the wood. When the wood was placed upright, the person would hang there for many hours. The cause of death was usually by suffocation. On many occasions, the hanged person was not taken down and the corpse was left there to be fed on by wild birds and animals.
Crucifixion as a punishment has been used since the B.C. era. The Persian empire would crucify enemies of the empire along with political opponents and prisoners. Alexander the Great killed hundreds in Egypt to show his true power. The crucifix represented the fear that was created by the conquerors. The most famous crucifixions were done by the Roman Empire. Throughout their lands, thousands tried to rise up against the Romans. They would crucify people by the thousands to set an example.
