Crux
Article by Benjamin Jowett, M.A., Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford on pp. 370-371 of William Smith, D.C.L., LL.D.: A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875
One element is worth mentioning in relation to discussion over The Passion of the Christ:
The manner of it was as follows:— The criminal, after sentence pronounced, carried his cross to the place of execution; a custom mentioned by Plutarch (De Tard. Dei Vind. ἓκαστος τῶν κακούργων ἐκφέρει τὸν αὐτοῦ σταυρόν), and Artemidorus (Oneir. ii.61), as well as in the Gospels. From Livy (xxxiii.36) and Valerius Maximus (i.7), scourging appears to have formed a part of this, as of other capital punishments among the Romans. The scourging of our Saviour, however, is not to be regarded in this light, for, as Grotius and Hammond have observed, it was inflicted before sentence was pronounced (St. Luke, xxiii.16; St. John, xix.1.6).The scourging also appears, though, in Matt. 27.26 // Mark 15.15 just before crucifixion (καὶ παρέδωκεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν φραγελλώσας ἵνα σταυρωθῇ).
Update (4 April 2006): Benjamin Jowett's article, Crux has moved to a new location and I have adjusted the link above.
