Decimate

When we here decimate we think maybe “wiped out” or “destroyed”.  “That buffet table was just decimated once Mike showed up.” Or something like that. That, however, is not what it means.

In the Roman Army, any unit that showed cowardice was guilty of disobedience or any other such crime would be punished. The punishment would be called decimation. The unit would be lined up and every 10th man would be killed. But wait there’s more…

If the unit contained 100 men and the punishment was handed down. A hundred men would draw lots and however pulled the ten marked lots would be the ones killed. The other ninety men would be tasked with doing the killing, usually using clubs and beating the men to death.  That sounds so very Roman…