9781422284070

11 Trial by ordeal was the principal judicial process in early medieval Europe. It was believed that an innocent person would be divinely protected, as proof that he was telling the truth. Here, before the assembled court and a crowd of onlookers, a man plunges his hand into a cauldron of boiling water. Torture is as old as humankind. The school bully is a torturer, and like all torturers, he or she does it for gain. It may be for a few dollars of your pocket money or no more than a peanut butter sandwich from your lunchbox; at the same time, it will be for a gain in the bully’s self-image. Words to Understand Censure: to criticize harshly Flogging: to beat someone with a rod or whip Heresy: to hold religious convictions contrary to church dogma and that deviate from orthodox belief Ladder: an early form of the rack in which the victim was tied to a vertical framework and weights were attached to his ankles Perjury: telling lies after swearing an oath to tell the truth Pharaoh: a ruler of Ancient Egypt Psychopath: someone who is mentally unstable, violent, and antisocial Sorcery: the use of supernatural powers to produce unnatural events, allegedly with the assistance of evil spirits Treason: to commit an offense against one’s sovereign or nation Torture in Ancient Times