executions
the romans had some pretty horrible ways to execute people. crucifixion being probably the best known. but i was thinking. they are certainly horrifying by today's standards. but were they really as horrifying in an age before modern medicine? people died horribly naturally. like from disease, infections, injuries, starvation. and there really wasn't much anyone could do about it. so maybe bleeding to death because some roman soldier stabbed you nine ten eleven twelve times didn't seem like such a bad way to go. so in order to deter that pesky rebellious human spirit, the romans had to devise even worse ways of separating humans from their lives.