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Medieval Torture
Torture (Latin torquere, "to twist"), in law, infliction of severe bodily pain either as punishment, or to compel a person to confess to a crime, or to give evidence in a judicial proceeding. Among primitive peoples, torture has been used as a means of ordeal and to punish captured enemies. Examination by torture, often called the "question," has been used in many countries as a judicial method. It involves using instruments to extort evidence from unwilling witnesses.
In ancient Athens, slaves were always examined by torture, and for this reason their evidence was apparently considered more valuable than that of freemen. A free Athenian could not be examined by
Approximate words: 2189
Approximate pages: 9
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