[AndrewC]

Christ's accusers by having Him flogged instead of crucified.

Not an activity conducive to life in itself.

[ZULU]

It was NOT a gentle time.

Flogging in itself is pretty cruel and vicious, but was practised in the British Navy into the 1800's. It is not necessarily fatal, but was frequently so if the victim was not a strong man (Daniel Morgan, a famous frontiersman and Revolutionary War General was given 500 lashes on his bare back for slugging a British Officer and survived - but he was strong as an ox and quite tall.) However, if I had to take a choice between being beaten or crucified, I'd pick the former.

A Roman soldier who fell asleep on guard duty was punished by being beaten to death by his legionary comrads. A legion which disgraced its standards was decimated, i.e. every tenth soldier flogged and then beheaded. A Roman General who was defeated frequently fell on his sword to commit suicide. It was a cruel time and people were hardened to cruelty in a way it is hard for modern minds to conceive.