Capital Punishment

Surrounded by his distraught supporters, Socrates takes the poisonous cup of hemlock that will take his life, establishing a long tradition of suspicion between intellectuals and ruling elites in Western societies.

to commit suicide, which was considered to be a relatively dignified death. Just as he was entitled to vote in elections, the free citizen was allowed to take his own life if found guilty of a crime. Slaves, however, had no such privileges. If found guilty, they were simply beaten to death. Among the ever practical, down-to-earth Romans, there is little sign of any serious debate. For grave crimes, especially murder, deathwas the accepted penalty. In the “12 Tables” of the law, the murder of any freeborn Roman was considered equivalent to parricide (the murder of one’s father), making it a symbolic offense against authority and the state. The Romans’ concern with reputation and public image is also reflected by the fact that one could be executed for falsely accusing—or even for singing a satirical song about—a fellow citizen.

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CAPITAL PUNISHMENT