My Titulus

[Loxuru]

Since some time, I was thinking about submitting this question to the Forum, by means of a poll. The discussions in the thread http://www.cruxforums.com/xf/threads/what-crimes-could-merit-crucifixion-in-the-future.5684/#post-275062 have made me decide to post it finally.

For those who fantasy of being crucified (but of course others are also invited to take part of the discussion). Imagine : the executioner's job is done. You, and maybe some companions, hang nailed to a cros on a public place, naked, humiliated, in pain and agony. Or you just got tied to the cross for at least twenty-four hours of public display. There is just one thing the justice officer has to do : to fix the titulus. A nameplate with your name , your age and your crime written on it. It will be fixed either above your head, or hang around your neck, or put in front of the cross. So, everybody can see why you deserved this punishment.

What, in your fantasy, could be written on that titulus? Can you imagine yourself as a vicious criminal, a murderer, a thief, a robber, a swindler?

Or being a spy, a traitor, a deserter, a renegade, sabotage, a war criminal, not necessarily for the good cause?

Or do you prefer to be at the good side? A martyr, a rebel, or for resisting or opposing tyranny or oppression by other means? For helping slaves or rebels? For protesting. For putting up or taking part to a strike. For membership of a forbidden association. This will probably involve similar accusations as above, but the perspective is different.

Or for ignorantly breaking the rules, or for heavy mistakes you made in a responsible position? Manslaughter for instance?

 

[Barbaria1]

Always the rebel in my case

 

[windar]

Always the rebel in my case

I'm kind of partial to: "Too damn handsome for his own good"

 

[Madiosi]

MADIOSI
Dominus Servilis Profugium

 

[Madiosi]

MADIOSI
Imago Falsarius

 

[Eulalia]

I've clicked 'others', 'cos I'd expect something humiliating - and sexist -
like 'whore', 'slut' etc. Maybe a racial slur - a letter written by a soldier in a fort on Hadrian's Wall
referred contemptuously to 'Brittunculi', 'little Britons',
I'd be a 'putida Brittuncula', 'foul, stinking little female Brit'

 

[mp5stab]

I've always liked this one. She's executed merely for being the daughter of a criminal. Brutal.

 

[rb1956]

Always the rebel in my case

but such a lovely Rebel!!!!!!!

 

[Barbaria1]

I've always liked this one. She's executed merely for being the daughter of a criminal. Brutal.

A criminal's family members are as suspect as he is, of course, and their execution is a reminder to everyone, including the criminal, that crime does not pay ... it's also pure fun for the prosecutors and executioners if the family member is a daughter

 

[Hondoboot2]

I clicked rebel. The good side for me. No dark side for me, no, no ,no. In the end, cowards are those who follow the dark side. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will. A rebel, resisting tyranny and oppression, that will my titulis.

 

[Deleted member jedakk]

Yeah, I checked "Rebel" too. Not that it's my fantasy to be crucified, but I've certainly given a lot of thought to crucifixion, what it would feel like, what all of the people involved might think, etc.

I've got a couple of tituli from "The Serpent's Eye" that were intended to convey how useless the deaths of the condemned were. The first, of course, is the main character Sabina, whose titulus reads simply "Sabina Dominae Displicuit" - "Sabina - she displeased her mistress."

There's obviously more to her story than simply that, but that's the official reason that everyone passing by can read.

Then there's Lucilla, sort of a bit character but one who has captured a lot of imaginations. Someone poisoned her master, then all of the other eleven slaves in the household committed suicide by taking the same poison. Since the Roman magistrate couldn't crucify those other eleven slaves, he sentenced Lucilla to be crucified twelve times - once for each of them and then a final time for herself. Her titulus reads "Lucilla Damnatus Crucifigeratur Duodecim" - "Lucilla - condemned to be crucified twelve times." The marks beneath that are tally marks, the way the Romans marked off the count of whatever it is they needed a total of, such as wine amphorae, slaves, sheep, etc. On her titulus they show that she's been crucified five times already.

Other tituli I've used have included such crimes as "Fur" - thief, "Fugitivus" - fugitive, or escaped slave. and "Occisor" - murderer.

 

[phlebas]

What would my titulus say?
If it was Roman, maybe I would just be some unfortunate crushed under the indiscriminate wheels of Roman justice. A man with a life and a family who finds himself on the wrong side of the authorities, someone who tries to mind his own business but is in the way of the minions of the state.
Just another criminal, who cares what he did.
My family would be there, sad, resigned, saying their goodbyes. So close to the cross themselves, grateful to be free.

It's tempting to be a rebel or freedom fighter or something heroic, but the little people deserve their commemoration too.

 

[Kodos the Executioner]

I clicked criminal as well.

For me the specifics of the sentence do not matter so much just that I found myself on the wrong side of the Roman law, was apprehended and sentenced to die. My titulus would have my name and my crime on it, some relatively minor criminal offense. It would be carried before me as I was marched naked through the streets -- a sign to beckon my friends, family and neighbors to watch my humiliation. I would see it go before me as I went to my death.

But I would hardly notice as the executioner affixed it to the cross. The sound of him hammering it into place drowned out by my screams as I begin the horrible agony of a naked wretch cruelly tortured for all to see.

 

[windar]

If it were modern times, the truth is, that the space would be sold to corporate sponsors. You'd be crucified at McDonald's Execution Park on a cross advertising Chase Bank. The titulus would be the perfect spot for law firms to advertise -"Don't let this happen to you, better call Saul Goodman, Esq."

 

[Madiosi]

If it were modern times, the truth is, that the space would be sold to corporate sponsors. You'd be crucified at McDonald's Execution Park on a cross advertising Chase Bank. The titulus would be the perfect spot for law firms to advertise -"Don't let this happen to you, better call Saul Goodman, Esq."

The true modern world!

 

[Hondoboot2]

If it were modern times, the truth is, that the space would be sold to corporate sponsors. You'd be crucified at McDonald's Execution Park on a cross advertising Chase Bank. The titulus would be the perfect spot for law firms to advertise -"Don't let this happen to you, better call Saul Goodman, Esq."

Sad, but unfortunately, I think you are right.

 

[Barbaria1]

If it were modern times, the truth is, that the space would be sold to corporate sponsors. You'd be crucified at McDonald's Execution Park on a cross advertising Chase Bank. The titulus would be the perfect spot for law firms to advertise -"Don't let this happen to you, better call Saul Goodman, Esq."

Brings to mind a futuristic (I presume) drawing that I have seen posted somewhere on the site of girls crucified in s public park for varying amounts of time in punishment for minor offenses and for numbers of offenses. Anyone know what drawing I am thinking of?

 

[Madiosi]

Brings to mind a futuristic (I presume) drawing that I have seen posted somewhere on the site of girls crucified in s public park for varying amounts of time in punishment for minor offenses and for numbers of offenses. Anyone know what drawing I am thinking of?

You mean that drawing?

 

[Madiosi]

If it were modern times, the truth is, that the space would be sold to corporate sponsors. You'd be crucified at McDonald's Execution Park on a cross advertising Chase Bank. The titulus would be the perfect spot for law firms to advertise -"Don't let this happen to you, better call Saul Goodman, Esq."

 

[Barbaria1]

You mean that picture?
View attachment 421594

YES!... That's the one ... thank you for posting Madi!

Love the expressions on the faces of the older gentleman and his wife.