The punishment of flagellation was thought among the ancient heathens,
as we have just seen, to possess great efficacy to mend the morals of
persons convicted of offences, and insure the honesty and diligence of
slaves. Nor were schoolmasters behindhand either with judges or masters,
in regard to whipping those persons who were subjected to their
authority.
Of this we have an undoubted proof in one of the epistles of Horace; and
it moreover appears that he had had, when at school, the bad luck of
being himself under the tuition of one who had strong inclination to
inflict that kind of chastisement. “I remember (says he) that the
flogging Orbilius, who when I was a boy, used to dictate to us the
verses of Livius Andronicus.”
_... Memini quæ plagosum mihi parvo
Orbilium dictare.—Lib. II. Ep. i. v. 70._
Quintilian has also mentioned this practice of schoolmasters of whipping
their disciples; and the severity which they used, as well as other
considerations, induced him to disapprove of it entirely. The following
are his expressions on that subject. “With respect to whipping
schoolboys, though it be an established practice, and Chrysippus is not
averse to it. First, it is a base and slavish treatment; and certainly
if it were not for the youth of those who are made to suffer, it might
be deemed an injury that might call for redress. Besides, if a disciple
is of such a mean disposition that he is not mended by censures, he
will, like a bad slave, grow equally insensible to blows. Lastly, if
masters acted as they ought, there would be no occasion for
chastisement; but the negligence of teachers is now so great, that,
instead of causing their disciples to do what they ought, they content
themselves with punishing them for not having done it. Besides, though
you may compel the obedience of a boy, by using the rod, what will you
do with a young man, to whom motives of a quite different nature must be
proposed? Not to add, that several dangerous accidents which are not fit
to be named, may be occasioned either by the fear or the pain attending
such punishments. Indeed, if great care is not taken in choosing
teachers of proper dispositions, I am ashamed to say to what degree they
will sometimes abuse their power of lashing: but I shall dwell no longer
on that subject, concerning which the public know already too much.”
After these dismal accounts of disciples flogged by their teachers, and
of the cruel severity used by the latter, the reader will not certainly
be displeased to read instances of teachers who were flogged by their
disciples.
A very remarkable instance of this kind occurs in the case of that
schoolmaster of the town of Falerii, who is mentioned in the fifth book
of the Decad of Livy. The town of Falerii being besieged by the Romans,
under the command of the Dictator Camillus, a schoolmaster in that town,
thinking he would be splendidly rewarded for his service, one day, led,
by treachery, and under pretence of making them take a short walk out of
the gates of the town, the children of the most considerable families,
who had been entrusted to his care, to the Roman camp, and delivered
them up to the dictator. But the latter, incensed at his perfidy,
ordered him to be stripped naked, with his hands tied behind his back,
and having supplied the children with rods, gave the schoolmaster up to
them, to drive him back in that condition to their town.[1]
Footnote 1:
Denudari deinde Ludi-magistrum, jussit, eumque pueris tradidit
reducendum Falerios, manibus post tergum illigatis; virgas quoque eis
dedits, quibus proditorem agerent in urbem verberantes.
The inhabitants of Falerii were so struck with the just conduct of the
Dictator (Livy adds) that a total change of their dispositions towards
the Romans was the consequence; and the senate having been assembled
thereupon by the magistrates, they came to the resolution of opening
their gates, and surrendering to the Romans; which was soon after
effected.
Another instance of the like kind is also to be met in more modern
times. The tutor’s name was Sadragefillus, and his disciple was
Dagobert, son of Clotaire, king of France, who reigned about the year of
Jesus Christ, 526. The translation is related in the following manner by
Robert Gaguin, in his History of France. “Dagobert (says he) having
received from his father a tutor who was to instruct him in the worldly
sciences, and whom the king had made the duke of Aquitain, the young
man, who did not want parts for one of his years, soon perceived that
Sadragefillus (such was the pedagogue’s name) was much elated with pride
on account of his newly acquired dignity, so that he began to fail in
the respect he owed to him, and grew remiss in the discharge of his
duty. The prince having once invited him to dine with him, and
Sadragefillus having not only placed himself at the table opposite the
prince, but also offered to take the cup from him as if he had been his
companion, the prince ordered him to be soundly whipped with rods, and
caused his beard, which he wore very long, to be cut off.” The above
fact is also related by Tilly, scrivener of the parliament of Paris, in
his chronicles of the kings of France.
In fine, to the passages above produced concerning the flagellations of
children, from which we find that very great men have much differed in
their opinions in regard to them, we may add, that King Solomon, that
oracle of wisdom has, without reserve, declared in favour of that mode
of correction. “He that spareth the rod, hateth his son; but he that
loves him chastises him betimes.” The Greek philosopher, Chrysippus has
afterwards manifested the same opinion. And Petrarch, who may be called
here a modern author, has also adopted the opinion of king Solomon; and
notwithstanding Quintillian’s arguments on the subject, has sided with
the ancient moralist and sage: “correct your son (says Petrarch) in his
tender years, nor spare the rod: a branch when young may easily be bent
at your pleasure.”
[Illustration:
THE NAVY—TIED TO THE GRATING.
]
CHAP. II.—_Flagellations of a religious and voluntary kind were
practised among the ancient heathens._
We have hitherto only treated of involuntary flagellations, and such as
were in all cases inflicted by force on those who suffered them. But
besides flagellations of this kind, there were others of a voluntary
sort among the heathens, to which those who underwent them, freely and
willingly submitted, and which may indeed create our surprise in a much
greater degree than the former.
Thus, at Lacedæmon, there was a celebrated festival, which was kept
annually, and was named the Day of Flagellations, on account of the
ceremony that was performed in it, of whipping before the altar of
Diana, a number of boys, who freely submitted to that painful treatment;
and this festival has been mentioned by a great number of authors.
Plutarch, for instance, in his book of the customs of the Lacedæmonians,
relates, that he had been an eye-witness of the reception of the
solemnity we speak of. “Boys (says he) are whipped for a whole day,
often to death, before the altar of Diana the Orthian; and they suffer
it with cheerfulness, and even with joy: nay, they strive with each
other for victory; and he who bears up the longest time, and has been
able to endure the greatest number of stripes, carries the day. This
solemnity is called the Content (or race) of Flagellations, and is
celebrated every year.”
Cicero, in his Tusculana, has also mentioned this custom of the
Lacedæmons. “Boys (says he) at Sparta, are lashed before the altar in so
severe a manner, that the blood issues from their bodies. While I was
there, I several times heard it said that boys had been whipped to
death; none of whom ever uttered the least complaint, though lacerated
by repeated lashes.” Nay more; Mozonius, in Stobæus, relates that the
Spartan boys were rather pleased with these flagellating solemnities.
“The sons of the Lacedæmonians make it very evident (says Mozonius) that
stripes do not appear to them either shameful or hard to be borne, since
they allow themselves to be whipped in public, and take a pride in it.”
The scholiast or commentator of Thucydides relates the same things of
the Lacedæmonian young men; and says that those among them who could
bear the greatest number of lashes, acquired much glory by it. “And
indeed (says he) the flagellations are performed at particular times
during a certain number of days; and those who receive the greatest
number of stripes, are accounted the most manly.” The parents of the
young men who were thus publicly whipped, were commonly present during
the performance of the ceremony; and so far were they from discouraging
their sons from going through it, that, as Lucian relates, they deemed
it a shameful piece of cowardice in them, if they seemed to yield to the
violence of the lashes, and in consequence of this notion they exhorted
them to go stoutly through the whole trial. “Indeed (continues Lucian) a
number of them frequently died in the conflict, thinking it was unworthy
of them, so long as they continued to live, to yield to blows and bodily
pain, in sight of their friends and relations.” “And to those who die
upon those occasions, statues as you will see, are erected at Sparta, in
the public places.”
Seneca, in his treatise upon Providence, has also mentioned those
singular flagellations which took place at Lacedæmon, as well as the
conduct of the Lacedæmonian fathers on those occasions. “Do not you
think (says he) that the Lacedæmonians hate their children, who try
their tempers by having them lashed publicly? Their very fathers exhort
them firmly to bear the lashes of the whips; and entreat them, when torn
to pieces and half dead, still to continue to offer their wounds to
other wounds.”
In fine, with so much solemnity were the flagellating ceremonies and
trials we mention performed, that a priestess, as Silenus of Chios
relates, constantly presided over them, holding up a small statue of the
goddess in her hand while the young men were lashed; and, to crown all,
priests were established to inspect the stripes and marks of the blows,
and draw omens from them. “I am witness (says Lucian) that there are
priests appointed to inspect the lashes and stripes.” To this it may be
added, that these extraordinary ceremonies of the Lacedæmonians, which
are here described, were preserved among them, notwithstanding the
numerous revolutions which their republic underwent, to very late times;
and Tertullian mentions them as continuing, in his days, to be regularly
celebrated every year. “For (says the author) the festival of the
flagellations is still in these days looked upon as a very great
solemnity at Lacedæmon. Everybody knows in what temple all the young men
of the best families are lashed in the presence of their relations and
friends, who exhort them to bear to the last this cruel ceremony.”
Even philosophers among the Greeks, I mean particular sects of them, had
adopted the practice of voluntary flagellation. Lucian relates in one of
his dialogues, that there were philosophers in his time, “who trained
young men to endure labour, pain, and want; and who made the practice of
virtue consist in these austerities. A number of them would bind
themselves; others whipped themselves; and those who were the most
tender, flead their outer skin with instruments of iron made for that
purpose.”
However, austerities of this kind were only practiced by particular
sects of philosophers, as hath been above observed; and the generality
of them were so far from adopting such practices, that a great many
ridiculed them. Of this we have an instance in the book of the Life of
Apollonius Tyanæus, written by Philostrates. In this book, Apollonius is
said to have spoken in the following manner to Thespesion.
“Flagellations are practiced before the altar of Diana Scythia, because
the oracles have ordered it so; now I think that it would be folly to
resist the will of the gods. If so (Thespesion answers) you show, O
Apollonius, that the gods of the Greeks possess but little wisdom, since
they prescribe to men who think they are free to lash themselves with
whips.”
Nor was the practice of those flagellations to which the persons who
underwent them willingly submitted, confined to the nations of Greece;
but the same had also been adopted in other countries. It obtained among
the Thracians, as we find in Artemidorus. “The young men of noble
families among the Thracians (says the author) are on certain occasions
cruelly lashed.”