Hello Archytas.... Roman Cross, if you prefer, although I don't think there's much need to be a stickler about it.... I remember seeing an "X" cross in some old films or other... So I did a quick search and here's what I found, it appears there actually were "options" as to cross designs when it came to crucifying Christians (among others, of course). http://www.milism.net/romanarmy.htm Capital Punishment of the enemies of Rome Roman jurisprudence used a variety of capital punishments, according to the status and perceived threat of the criminal.
Common criminals, such as thieves, were stoned. The wronged population exacted revenge. A cross is a gallows. To crucify was a brutal method of killing the enemies of Rome; "that most cruel and disgusting penalty," crudelissimum taeterrimumque supplicium; Cicero. Verr. 2.5.165. Crucifixion is first recorded in The Histories of Herodotus the Greek; he reports that the Persian general Darius (512-485 BC) had 3000 inhabitants of Babylon crucified. Both types of square cross, high cross like a T crux commissa or short cross, t cross, St Anthony's cross crux immissa consist of a vertical stipes that remained in the ground, and a horizontal crossbeam piece patibulum, that was carried by the victim to the crucifixion site. The X cross crux decussata was much easier to construct but it was more difficult to attach the crucifee. The name decussate cross is derived from the Latin for ten decem because of two fives of the dice, each five being an X cross. Now known as St Andrew's cross after the crucifixion of Andrew the Galilean apostle in AD 60 at the orders of the Roman Governor, Aegeas/ Aegeates, at Patrae in Achaiaunder in the time of the Roman Emperor Nero. The tradition is that Andrew was bound, not nailed, to a decussate cross in order to prolong his sufferings; he was an old man and might have died too quickly if a square cross was used, so denying the crowd a show and with insufficient deterrent effect. In vexillology (the study of flags), the technical term for an X cross is a saltire. Alternatively, the I cross, the crucifee was nailed to the stipes or a tree, crux simplex, a "single piece without transom." The Roman army supervised an order to crucify but the dishonourable task of attaching a crucifee to the patibulum may have been allocated to an executioner or other another criminal awaiting crucifixion. Roman crucifixion was preceded by torture, most often flogging. The accused stood naked, the flogging covered the area from the shoulders down to the upper legs. The whip consisted of several strips of leather. In the middle of the strips were metal balls that hit the skin causing deep bruising. In addition, sheep bone was attached to the tips of each strip. The flogging may have been to unconsciousness or death. It seems likely that crucifees were naked after the flogging or were stripped naked on the cross by the mob. Crucifixion was a slow ignominious death, not least because vital organs remained undamaged. For maximum deterrent effect the crosses were set up along the busiest roads. On Dec 28, 12:08 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > I would think the crosses would actually have been Roman Nom, though > I've met some Xtians who carry one of their own about! > > On 27 Dec, 18:13, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > >http://www.thefreedictionary.com/xmas > > > On Dec 27, 9:38 am, nominal9 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Xmas? Archytas? > > > Is it your contention that the Christian Cross was, historically, > > > actually in the shape of an > > > "x" an not a "+"? > > > I am not saying anything by this , really, .... I just wonder when the > > > "X mas" variant came up and to what end? I suppose different people > > > use it for different reasons.... Happy "Achoo-nukkah"... > > > nominal9 > > > > On Dec 26, 8:15 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Truly awful Orn, after the first paragraph. One might say Xmas for > > > > flanneurs. > > > > > On 25 Dec, 21:23, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > [In answer to the question of whether it is appropriate for an atheist > > > > > to celebrate Christmas:] > > > > > > Yes, of course. A national holiday, in this country, cannot have an > > > > > exclusively religious meaning. The secular meaning of the Christmas > > > > > holiday is wider than the tenets of any particular religion: it is > > > > > good will toward men—a frame of mind which is not the exclusive > > > > > property (though it is supposed to be part, but is a largely > > > > > unobserved part) of the Christian religion. > > > > > > The charming aspect of Christmas is the fact that it expresses good > > > > > will in a cheerful, happy, benevolent, non-sacrificial way. One says: > > > > > “Merry Christmas”—not “Weep and Repent.” And the good will is > > > > > expressed in a material, earthly form—by giving presents to one’s > > > > > friends, or by sending them cards in token of remembrance . . . . > > > > > > The best aspect of Christmas is the aspect usually decried by the > > > > > mystics: the fact that Christmas has been commercialized. The gift- > > > > > buying . . . stimulates an enormous outpouring of ingenuity in the > > > > > creation of products devoted to a single purpose: to give men > > > > > pleasure. And the street decorations put up by department stores and > > > > > other institutions—the Christmas trees, the winking lights, the > > > > > glittering colors—provide the city with a spectacular display, which > > > > > only “commercial greed” could afford to give us. One would have to be > > > > > terribly depressed to resist the wonderful gaiety of that spectacle. > > > > > > The Objectivist Calendar, Dec. 1976.- Hide quoted text - > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
