• @[email protected]
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    62 hours ago

    I always wondered why would happen if the dude appeared dead but managed to live over the following days

    • @Agent641
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      535 minutes ago

      Some of your mates will start a cult about you.

    • @PugJesusOPM
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      41 hour ago

      I imagine if he was a smart fellow, he would take the opportunity to quietly disappear and start a new life before anyone got the bright idea to cut his throat to make sure.

      Or perhaps it’d be regarded as a good omen. Romans were always fond of odd happenings being interpreted as some omen or another from the gods.

      • @[email protected]
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        31 hour ago

        I theorized the latter, and the legate would keep him in court, probably with a chicken on his head (due to massive concussion)

  • @grue
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    72 hours ago

    Remember, folks, if you’re trying to describe more than 10% of something being destroyed, don’t call it “decimation” because it’s worse than that.

  • @PugJesusOPM
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    606 hours ago

    Explanation: Decimation was a military punishment in the Roman Empire, used primarily in the days of the Republic, and even then only rarely. In the case of extreme cowardice or mutiny of an entire unit, the unit would be condemned to decimation - in which they would be split into groups of 10 men, and draw lots or straws. The one who drew the shortest straw was then condemned to be beaten to death by the other 9. This was seen, to the Romans, both as a punishment and a redemption, as by participating as executors, the surviving soldiers are punished, but also are resubmitting to military discipline and enforcing it in the unit.

    It was considered, even by Roman standards, to be a very harsh punishment, and only a handful of examples of the punishment are known to have been carried out, and each time it was considered a major and shocking event.

    • @thenextguy
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      63 hours ago

      I thought maybe his name was Decimus.

      • @PugJesusOPM
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        63 hours ago

        Funny enough, Decimus means something similar - ‘Tenth’. A lot of Roman praenomina (first names) were like that. Primus, Secundus, Tertius, Quartus, Quintus, Sextus, Septimus, Octavius, Nonus, Decimus. First through tenth! Not the most creative fellows, the Romans.

        In their defense, birth order rarely correlated with their name - Decimus could just as easily be a firstborn child, or the fifth son.

    • @[email protected]
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      156 hours ago

      Interesting as well, as well … disgusting! I’m glad, that I wasn’t born into that era.

      • @PugJesusOPM
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        386 hours ago

        The past is very often a brutal place! We live in deeply imperfect times in the modern day, and should not be satisfied with the flaws our societies have now, but it’s good to reflect every once in a while how far we’ve come.

        • @[email protected]
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          146 hours ago

          True (even though some try with all their might to turn back to the “great old times”).

            • @PugJesusOPM
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              85 hours ago

              Get out of here Caligula

              • @bamfic
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                33 hours ago

                Combover Caligula

              • @InverseParallax
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                34 hours ago

                God-damn, as an American, that just killed the humor vibe right there. :(

                • @PugJesusOPM
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                  34 hours ago

                  Don’t worry, Caligula didn’t win in the end.