Crucifixion probably first began among the Persians. Alexander the Great introduced the practice to Egypt and Carthage, and the Romans appeared to have learned of it from the Carthaginans. Although the Romans did not invent crucifixion, they perfected it as a form of torture and capital punishment that was designed to produce a slow death with maximum pain and suffering. It was one of the most disgraceful and cruel methods of execution and it was usually reserved only for slaves, foreigners, revolutionaries, and the worst of criminals. Roman law usually protected Roman citizens from crucifixion, except perhaps in the case of desertion by soldiers.
It was customary for the condemned man to carry his own cross from the flogging post to the site of crucifixion outside the city walls. He was usually naked or had only a minimal amount of clothing. Since the weight of the entire cross was probably well over 300 lb. (136 kg), only the crossbar was carried. The crossbar, patibulum, weighing 75 to 125 lb. (34 to 57 kg), was placed on the victim's neck and balanced along both shoulders. Usually, the outstretched arms then were tied to the crossbar. The procession to the site of crucifixion was led by a complete Roman military guard, headed by a centurion. One of the soldiers carried a sign, titulus, on which the condemned man's name and crime were displayed. Later, the titulus would be attached to the top of the cross.
At the site of execution, by law, the victim was given a bitter drink of wine mixed with myrrh, gall, as a mild analgesic. The criminal was then thrown to the ground on his back, with his arms outstretched along the patibulum, the hands could be nailed or tied to the crossbar, but nailing apparently was preferred by the Romans. The archaeological remains of a crucified body, found in an ossuary near Jerusalem and dating from the time of Christ, indicate that the nails were tapered iron spikes approximately 5 to 7 in (13 to 18 cm) long with a square shaft 3/8 in (1 cm) across. Next, the feet were fixed to the cross, either by nails or ropes. To accomplish this, flexion of the knees may have been quite prominent, and the bent legs may have been rotated laterally. To prolong the crucifixion process, a horizontal wooden block or plank, serving as a crude seat, often was attached midway down the stipes.
When the nailing was completed, the titulus was attached to the cross, by nails or cords, just above the victim's head. The soldiers and the civilian crowd often taunted ...