The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-01-17
The Whip Among the Romans.

The whip played very conspicuous
part, in both the public and private life of
the Romans. The lictors, always attend
ing the consuls, wore their punches of rods
not merely for state show, although it was
not permitted to beat Roman citizens ex-'l
cept in the case of their being thieves; but
slaves were beaten with smooth leather
straps, called ferula; more painful were
the retive, made of several strips of parch-
ment twisted together; and the superlative
was the oxhide, called fagellum, often
right terrible. Most terrible of all was an
instrument imported from abroad; the
Spanish whip, but which was used only
by severe masters.
They had not only the right of whipping
slaves at pleasure, but even of killing
them. Some masters, not satisfied with
the plain Spanish whip, made it more ter
rible by fastening small nails or bones, and
little leaden balls to it. Slaves were
stripped, their hands tied to a tree or post,
and their feet hindered from kicking by
clog of hundred pounds weight. The
most trifing faults were punished in this
manner, and poor fellow light be fogged
for the amusement of his masters guests.
1t was no rare occurrence that slave died
under the whip, and there was no more
regret than for the loss of a pan or other
piece of household property.
The ladies were particularly cruel to
their slaves. The poor girls in attendance,
scratched and bleeding from wounds made
with the long pins the ladies wore as orna-
ments, sometimes filled the whole house
with their cries.
Tbo or,ol+,- tor-or1 A. Il.
so much that the emperors made some eff
fort to check it. Laws were made, pursu-
ant to which, such masters as would for
sake their slaves in sickness forfeited their
rights to them after their recovery; and 4
Roman who would Intentionally kill his
slave was to be banished from Rome Any
| lady who would whip, or order the whipping
| of slave, to such degree that death en-
sued before the third day, was to be ex-
communicated for from five up to seven
years.
The young Roman libertines often
chose the disguise of a slaves dress for
! their love adventures. Rich people kept
SO great crowd of slaves that they did
not know them personally, and thus the
introduction into houses was made easy.
Sometimes, however, the master ID the
house got a hint, perhaps from the shrewd
lady herself, and the intruder was fogged
as runaway slave or spy. Such an oc-
currence gave particular delight to the
real slaves. 1t was misfortune that
happened to the historian, Sallust, who
courted Faustina, daughter of Tulla, and
wife to Milo. After having received a
severe fogging, Sallust was released upon
paying a considerable sum
Caligula used the whip with his own
hand, and on the spot even upon people
who, by talking too loudly at the theatre,
spoiled his enjoyment Of the players. He
did not much care who the offender was
Even the vestals were not exempt from
this punishment. The vestal Ur5ina was
whipped by a priest, and led in procession
through the streets. Other vestals, we
are told, had been whipped for the same
offence. The guilty one, covered with a
thin vail, was whipped by priest in a
dark room. Even Empresses were not
always spared, at least in the Christian
time, and in Constantinople, where the
mother of Justiana III. was so admonished
To be whipped, however, was, in the eyes
Of Roman, the lowest disgrace, and for
this reason Judges ordered Christians to
be whipped at their first examination
! Once q Week.