Decimation!-Special Post

Decimation was a form of military discipline used by officers in the army to punish mutinous or cowardly soldiers. The word "decimation" is derived from Latin meaning "removal of a tenth." In Latin, "decem" means "ten." Units were divided into groups of ten, and then lots were drawn to see who would die. The unlucky victim was then killed by stoning or clubbing by the remaining nine comrades. The remaining soldiers were given barley instead of wheat and had to sleep outside of the Roman encampments.

Works Cited

"Decimation (Roman Army)." Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimation_%28Roman_army%29>.

Photograph. Silverclipboard.com. Silverclipboard. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. <http://silverclipboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/rome1.JPG>.