Featured The Roman FLAGRUM

This thread contains informations that some members may find disturbing. Readers discretion advised.

"they saw them, torn by the whips, to the point where you could see the innermost veins and arteries, and the innards and the most hidden parts of the body appeared..." Eusebius Historica Ecclesiastica book IV, 15.



20 centuries ago, If you were a lictor suffering from a "sadistic personality disorder", the flagrum would certainly be your favorite working tool. It was what we call today a whip or a scourge. But what is its origins and its link with the Roman coinage ? Let's explore the answers together.

The history
The ancient historian Eusebius (and close friend of Constantine I) drew a horribly realistic picture of the torture of Christians in his times (see excerpt above). But Romans were not the first to use it. In Egyptian Antiquity, a symbolic whip, the nekhehk, was part of the pharaoh's regalia. Evocative of its use against cattle and beasts of burden trained in the agricultural setting, it simultaneously symbolized the values of fertility and domination over the land and the people of Egypt . But some drawings on ancient Egypt's walls showed some sort of braided thread which was probably used to whip the slaves.


Osiris(?) holding a whip


A painted scene in Tutankhamun's tomb

For the Greeks, the feeling of human dignity was too highly developed to accommodate the same treatment as animals and barbarian peoples. The punishment of the whip was reserved for bad slaves; the master could scourge the slave to the skin of the back by having him tied to a pole. In ancient Rome, the law prohibited whipping any Roman citizen. The Lex Valeria and the Lex Porcia, promulgated on different dates between 509 BC and 195 BC, exempted Roman citizens from the scourge. This kind of punishment was often use on slaves, criminals and non-Romans people.


At 2 o'clock, a putto with a whip. Herculanum.

So hideous was the use of a flagrum as a form of correction that the victim usually fainted and sometimes died before the actual execution could be carried out. Although the word flagellum is a diminutive of flagrum, this whip was actually much harder. It consisted of a handle into which was fixed several cords or leather thongs. These straps were weighted with jagged pieces of bone or metal to make the blows more painful and effective. Sometimes the Roman scourge contained a hook at the end and was given the terrifying name "scorpion".


Chariot rider with a whip. Pompei fresco.

The Journal of the American Medical Association describes the Roman practice of scourging:
“The usual instrument was a short whip (flagrum or flagellum) with several simple or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals. . . . As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim's back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. "


Cybele's bas relief. Notice the full detailed handle of the flagrum at her left.

The coinage
Now let's talk about the famous flagrum on coins. There are many examples on Roman Republican coinage of horsemen or chariot's riders holding a whip. Octavian is also depicted with a whip leading a pair of oxen. One of the nicest specimen I've ever seen was posted lately by @Fugio1. It's a denarius of T.Didius (114-113 BC) featuring two gladiators fighting, one attacking with a whip.


Courtesy of Steve Brinkman collection.

On Imperial coinage, I believe that 99% of all coins depicting a scourge promote the Roman god Sol. By showing the "sun god" with a whip in his hand, these emperors surely wished to emphasize the dominance and invincibility of this deity. On provincial coins, Helios, Nemesis, Zeus, Pelops, Eros, Abrasax, Strymon, Nike, Serapis, Mars and Baal are some of the deities described holding a whip. I'm posting two of my Imperial ones with a flagrum - no surprise, it's Sol on the reverse. Please show us your examples with any kind of whip on them !

Gallienus

Severus Alexander

 

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ELAGABALUS
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG - Laureate, draped bust right
REVERSE: P M TR P IIII COS III P P - Sol standing left, raising hand and holding whip; star in either field
Struck at Rome, 221 AD
2.9g, 19mm
RIC 40b, C 184

GALLIENUS
Antoninianus
OBVERSE: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right
REVERSE: ORIENS AVG, Sol walking or running left, right hand raised hand, holding whip in left hand Z left
Struck at Mediolanum, Sole Reign, 260-8 AD
3.5g, 21.5mm
RIC 249

 

Great writeup! The bas relief of Cybele is amazing.

Here's my ex @dougsmit T. Didius:


Sev Alex as:


Here's an interesting late medieval depiction of a multistranded whip, held in the right hand of St. Ambrose on the reverse. Apparently it symbolizes his assertiveness, e.g. in excommunicating the emperor Theodosius and forcing him to do penance for the massacre in Thessalonica.

Milan, AR grosso of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, 1395-1402

 

My RR Didius denarius with Roman flagrum.

 

Here’s another of Sol with his whip:


Severus Alexander, AE sestertius. (28mm, 19.2g.), Rome, 235 AD. Laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right./ Rev. Sol standing left with whip. RIC 538.

 

Excellent writeup as usual Ocat
Here's my "whipped coin"


L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi, Denarius
Rome mint, 90 BC
Laureate head of Apollo right, Δ below chin
Naked horseman galloping right, holding whip; above swan. L.PISO.FRUGI / ROMA at exergue
3,93 gr - 18,8 mm
Ref : RCV # 235, RSC # 12b, RRC # 340/1-Calpurnia 12b-symbol 166

Q

 

Nowadays still popular in Catholic Spain, the Philippines and some Latin American countries:

 

We need a Victorinus!


Victorinus, AD 269-271.
Roman billon antoninianus, 2.29 g, 20.1 mm, 6 h.
Cologne, AD 270-271.
Obv: IMP C VICTORINVS P F AVG, radiate and draped bust, right.
Rev: INVICTVS, Sol advancing left, raising right hand and holding whip in left; * in left field.
Refs: RIC 114; Cohen 49; RCV 11170; De Witte 27; Hunter 7.

 

WHIP IT



RR AR Denarius 149 BCE Pinarius Natta Roma X - Victory Biga whip NATTA ROMA Cr 208-1 Syd 390



RR C Renius AR Denarius 18mm 3.8g Roma 138 BC Helmeted hd Roma r X - C RENI ROMA Juno driving biga goats r whip reins scepter Cr 231-1



RR AR denarius 3.8g 18.0mm T Didius Rome 113-112 BCE Roma star ROMA mono - Two Gladiators whip sword S 171 CR 294-1



RR Anon AE Semuncia 217-215 BC Turreted Horseman Whip Roma Craw 39-5 Sear 619 Scarce

 

CLAUDIUS II GOTHICUS
AE Antoninianus. 3.29g, 20.5mm. Antioch mint, circa early – mid AD 270. New RIC Online Temp #1053; RIC 221; Cohen 273. O: IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG, radiate head right. R: SOL AVG, Sol with whip and upraised arm standing left.

GALERIUS, as Caesar
AE Antoninianus. 3.6g, 23.4mm. Lugdunum mint, AD 293-294. RIC V 684. O: MAXIMIANVS NOB C, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: ORIENS AVG, Sol standing left, raising right hand and holding whip; B in exergue.

 

@zumbly, Sol on the reverse of your first coin looks like a cartoon character holding a can beer. Way cool.

 

Cheers, Bing. I hope you and Mrs Bing are keeping well and have enough beers in the fridge.

 

We're fine just need


Hope all is well with you and yours.

 

The thread's title is Roman Flagrum but I'd really like to see some Greek coins examples. Anyone please ?

 

Sorry no greek but a nice heliogábalo with a whip. With sol, 2 friends of the sun !

 

LOL, I had read the story about the first pic (I NEED MORE BEER) a couple days ago.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/beer-drinking-grannys-lockdown-plea-gets-rewarded-091302261.html

 

I think we should distingish between the flagellum and the common whip used to drive cattle. Many of the deities can be associated with horses or cattle and hold whips as a token thereof. The flagellum is an agressive instrument- if not a weapon - and can be associated with combat or punishment or even humiliation. Victoria in a biga will not have used a flagellum to spur her horses

 

Very interesting write-up - many thanks!

 

News update

Despite restrictions on rallies due to the coronavirus, six people were scourged in public on Tuesday in the Indonesian province of Aceh for breaking Islamic law in the conservative region. "To meet current conditions, we tried to cut down on non-mandatory procedures, like the usual opening speech"... said an officer. The men who each received 40 rattan cane strokes for drinking alcohol were not wearing protective masks...

I'm so happy I do not live there, otherwise I would have already been beaten to death...