Torture was a common practice in ancient Rome, especially during interrogations. Until the second century CE, torture was used only on slaves (with a few exceptions). After this period, torture also concerned the lower social strata. The slave’s testimony was considered true under Roman law only during torture. It was thought that they could not be trusted and that they had to be intentionally “tried” ¹.
Some of the most common torture techniques used by ancient Romans include:
Cru
