Comments on Jesus' Crucifixion

The New Testament is mercifully scant on the details of Jesus' crucifixion. However, much can be learned about what must have transpired from extra-biblical sources, (see the menu of links on this page).

This method of torture and execution had become a common-place occurrence in Rome from the 1st century BC to about 300 AD. Interestingly, however, writers of the time devoted little time to describing the methods or reporting on their use. Notwithstanding the willingness of the broader Roman populace to support and attend circuses with gladiatorial combat and prisoner execution by wild animals, crucifixion appears to have provided less entertainment to the Romans who considered the entire process utterly shameful.

Several writings from this period of antiquity do, however, provide some insight into the Roman perspective on the practice of crucifixion. Several are presented here.

"Sixteen men were paraded out, chained together by the foot and neck, each carrying his own cross. The executioners added this grim public spectacle as an extra deterrent to anyone thinking about committing the same crime."
Chariton, Roman Novelist (25BC - AD 50)

"Whenever we crucify, we choose the streets most busy places where the crowd gets to see the condemned, in order to frighten them."
Quintilian , Roman Teacher and Orator (AD 35-95)

"Each criminal who goes to execution must carry his own cross on his back."
Plutarch , Roman Historian (AD 46-120)

"Every day Roman soldiers caught 500 Jews or more… the soldiers driven by their hatred of the Jews nailed them to crosses. They nailed them in many different positions to entertain themselves and horrify the Jews watching this spectacle from inside the walled city of Jerusalem. In time, the soldiers ran out of wood for crosses, and room for crosses even if they found more wood."
Flavius Josephus , Jewish Roman Historian (AD 37-100)

"Let the very word 'cross' be far removed from not only the bodies of Roman citizens, but even from their thoughts, their eyes and their ears."
Cicero , Roman Statesman (106 BC - 43 BC)

"Is there such a thing as a person who would actually prefer wasting away in pain on a cross—dying limb by limb one drop of blood at a time—rather than dying quickly? Would any human being willingly choose to be fastened to that cursed tree, especially after the beating that left him deathly weak, deformed, swelling with vicious welts on shoulders and chest, and struggling to draw every last, agonizing breath? Anyone facing such a death would plead to die rather than mount the cross."
Seneca the Younger , Roman Stoic Philosopher / Statesman (4 BC - AD 65)