Torture in Ancient Greece and Rome

Torture: Torture in Ancient Greece and Rome

Introduction to Torture in Ancient Greece and Rome

In ancient times, torture was used for affronts to the authority of slave-masters. In early Athens in ancient Greece, slaves were always examined by torture, and for this reason their evidence was apparently considered more valuable than that of freemen. A free Athenian could not be examined by this method, although torture may have been used occasionally in executing criminals. Law in ancient Rome permitted the torture of an accused suspect but banned the torture of witnesses. Where a witness, freeman, or slave was believed to have committed treason, however, he could be legally tortured. Torture was frequently inflicted even on freemen to obtain evidence of the crime of laesa majestas (“injured majesty,” or crime against a sovereign power). Rome’s use of red-hot irons and lacerating hooks is well-known. The statesman Cicero and other enlightened Romans condemned the use of torture.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Torture in Ancient Greece and Rome in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Torture in Ancient Greece and Rome