Decimation as a Military Punishment in Ancient Rome

Abstract

The first part of the present paper provides a brief historical overview of the decimations performed in the Roman armies between 471 BC and AD 286. The second part looks for an answer to the question of whether these collective punishments were lawful: in this regard, it primarily examines whether the Roman soldiers had the right to appeal to the popular assembly. The third part deals with the aims of the decimations, and also with the question of why military crimes were not severely punished in many cases.