From the history of punishment
For the most history punishment has been both painful and public in
order to act as deterrent to others. Physical punishments and public
humiliations were social events and carried out in most accessible parts of
towns, often on market days when the greater part of the population were
present. Justice had to be seen to be done.
One of the most bizarre methods of execution was inflicted in
ancient Rome on people found guilty of murdering their fathers. Their
punishment was to be put in a sack with a rooster, a viper, and a dog, then
drowned along with the three animals. In ancient Greece the custom of
allowing a condemned man to end his own life by poison was extended only
to full citizens. The philosopher Socrates died in this way. Condemned
slaves were beaten to death instead. Stoning was the ancient method of
punishment for adultery among other crimes.
In Turkey if a butcher was found guilty of selling bad meat, he was
tied to a post with a piece of stinking meat fixed under his nose, or a baker
having sold short weight bread could be nailed to his door by his ear.
One of the most common punishment for petty offences was the
pillory, which stood in the main square of towns. The offender was locked by
hands and head into the device and made to stand sometimes for days, while
crowds jeered and pelted the offender with rotten vegetables or worse.
In medieval Europe some methods of execution were deliberately drawn out
to inflict maximum suffering. Felons were tied to a heavy wheel and rolled
around the streets until they wee crushed to death. Others were strangled,
very slowly. One of the most terrible punishments was hanging and
quartering. It remained a legal method of punishment in Britain until 1814.
Beheading was normally reserved for those of high rank.
Answer the following questions:
 1.Why did ancient punishment have to be painful?
2. What was the purpose of making punishments public?

3. What was the symbolic meaning of the punishment inflicted on the parent’s murderers?

4. What punishments were most common in the East?

5. How did punishments reflect social status?

1. Ancient punishment had to bepainful in order to act as deterrent to others.2. Justice had to be seen to be done. 3. Their punishment was to be put in a sack with a rooster, a viper, and a dog, then drowned along with the three animals.4. One of the most common punishment for petty offences was the pillory, which stood in the main square of towns.5. Beheading was normally reserved for those of high rank.