At least part of the evidence for the arguments that patricide was a ‘national neurosis’ for the Romans was the punishment that they came up with for it. Perhaps one of the most notorious things the Romans ever devised, it is technically known as the culleus or Poena Cullei, and is fairly regularly the subject of clickbait articles with titles like ‘This Roman Punishment Will Make You Sick!’ It’s also a really good factoid to pull out in pubs with people you barely know, so take notes. According to the Digest, it goes like this: a person found guilty of parricide was beaten with
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