In ancient Rome, crucifixion was a painful way to execute criminals and slaves, and to remind the populace the consequences of breaking Roman laws. Rare archaeological evidence has been found through skeletal remains that confirm this type of execution.
Crucifixion did not originate with the Romans. The Assyrians, Phoenicians and Persians practiced this form of execution 1,000 yeas before the birth of Christ. It was introduced into western cultures from the east. Some Greeks used it, mostly the ones who had contact with Phoenicians and Carthaginians. After Alexander the Great died in 323 B.C., crucifixion was used by the Syrians and the Ptolemies who ruled Egypt.
