I actually did write the part that goes along with these pictures. This part is narrated by Balbus, the executioner. Here it is, beginning where Sabina left the road to walk to her cross:
Just then they came to the place where they left the road and headed toward the place of execution. Hercules, strong as a mule, was dragging Sabina by her chain and Ajax had a handful of the little slave girl’s ass, having himself a good feel and moving her along smartly. She balked and dug her heels in now that she could see the empty post where she was about to be crucified and Antius with his hammer and nails waiting for her. Then there was already a naked man hanging on a cross to the left of the one where she’d be hanging, screaming and writhing. The sight of him would have confirmed in her mind just how bad this was going to be.
She was desperate to stave off what was coming. Just like nearly all the others. There weren’t many who made the last walk to their cross without a struggle, no matter how brave they thought they’d be. But she had less chance than a fart in a whirlwind of slowing Hercules and Ajax, who laughed along with the crowd at her puny efforts. Nothing she could do would delay her execution.
Hercules and Ajax hustled the struggling, wide-eyed little slave girl between the rows of jeering assholes up to the place of execution. Antius stood on the opposite side of the cross from us, nails and hammer in hand, waiting for the two Nubians to get her ready for him.
Hercules reached the place in front of her stipes where they would lay her on her back for nailing and stopped. The slave girl was still struggling and fighting, but he turned and began dragging her toward him hand over hand by the chain. She was quite a sight, digging in her feet, screaming and crying, arching her back, pulling with all of her puny strength now. Hercules was pulling her towards him, but her eyes were fixed on Antius with his hammer and nails.
When Hercules dragged her up close, she lost her balance and collapsed in front of him, ending up on her knees leaning against her patibulum. She was breathing hard, chest heaving, trembling in terror. She stared at Antius, at his hammer and nails, her face a mixture of horror and exhaustion. If she had been quite a sight before, she was even more so now.
She was quiet now, staring at the stipes in front of her where she’d be hanging in a few moments, probably too terrified to speak. A lot of them are when they suddenly find themselves with nothing left to do but die.
I have 47 renders of this scene, which is typical for scenes I've done in the past few years. Once I finish with all the work of posing everyone, lighting, props, etc., I just move the camera around the 3D scene and take snapshots of any angles that look promising. That's generally around fifty renders. Then I go through those and select a few for illustrations - the rest are mostly never seen by anyone but me.
