"Cat of Nine Tails"

The Roman flagrum or scourge was not called a Cat of Nine Tails This is a common misconception that is often taught in churches.

The “cat of nine tails” was a whip that the British Royal Navy used during the 1700s and 1800s. It was based on the Roman flagrum but far less severe. This whip had nine ends with a knot on the end of each. It was used primarily with sailors and would leave cat-like-scratch marks on their backs. This may be where many get the notion that the Roman flagrum always had nine ends. The number of ends probably varied. There is archaeological evidence for a three-strand flagrum but it also might have had more.