What is the "Eleventh Killing Law"? It's an ancient law that's so cruel that people talk about. It is 2,500 years old, but it is shocking that this law has only been enforced four times in a long period of time. What kind of cruel punishment is this, and why is it used so rarely?
In 471 B.C., the Roman king Sabine had a deep grudge against an army defeat, which he believed was caused by a lack of military discipline. As a result, he instituted a brutal military system to punish defeated generals and deter the army. This is the "Law of Eleven Killing", which has left a terrifying legend in the long river of history.
According to this rule, the defeated generals were divided into small groups, and the members of the group had to draw lots in front of their companions to decide whether one would live or die. The unlucky man who was drawn will be subjected to the most brutal methods of execution, such as being beaten to death with sticks or stoned to death, in full view of the public. This was undoubtedly the terrible consequence of the anger burning in the heart of King Sabine.
In 471 B.C., the "Law of Eleven Killings" was first implemented in ancient Rome. At this time, Rome was engaged in a fierce battle with the neighboring Volschians. In this battle, the Roman army suffered a crushing defeat, demoralization, and military discipline was weakened.
Sabinguo was furious, and he decided to use the newly promulgated "Eleventh Killing Law" to set an example. The 13 defeated generals were forced to stand in a row, their faces suddenly dawning, realizing that a life-or-death opportunity was coming. A soldier in battle armor holds a signing box, holding the fate of the generals in his hands.
The king's voice was cold and calm. The faces of the people were as dead as ashes, and they could not say anything. At this moment, time seemed to stand still. Countless pairs of eyes stared at the soldier's every move, and a heart rose to his throat.
The soldier's name pierced the deathly silence and announced the end of the man. General Tullius's face turned pale, and he fell to his knees with weak legs. Although a look of happiness flashed on the faces of the others, their eyes widened in disbelief. The king commanded loudly. Two soldiers stepped forward, armed with heavy stone hammers. They walked up to Tullius' kneeling side with blank faces and raised their hands.
For a moment, the sound of fabric tearing and the crunch sound of bones shattering came and went. We can't help but think about the pain and despair that this defeated general endured. By the time all the voices had fallen silent, Tullius had died. The king commanded calmly.
The faces of the people were sallow, and the whole air was filled with the coldness of death. They stood side by side, but they fell into an ice cellar and could not return to their senses for a long time. This was the tragic scene when the "Eleventh Law of Killing" was first executed. The life of a defeated general was hastily ended under cruel punishment, and the tragicomedy of life and death between him and ten of his companions became a bloody mark on the collective memory of the Roman army.
The first execution of the "Law of Eleven Smashes" shocked the entire Roman army, which maintained a high level of combat effectiveness for a period of time. However, its cruel nature has also cast a shadow in the hearts of the soldiers. In the years that followed, this terrible military regulation appeared twice more in Roman history.
In 71 BC, the famous slave war broke out in Rome. In the midst of this turbulent era of warfare, the Roman army suffered another crushing defeat. Faced with serious problems of military discipline, the Roman commander Crassus had to revert to the "Law of Eleven Kills" in order to clean up military discipline and restore morale. This time, the draw ceremony was equally brutal and terrifying. The last unlucky defeated general was killed by a horrific stone hammer execution.
What is even more embarrassing is that in 36 BC, the "Law of Eleven Killings" was implemented in Rome for the third time. This time the punishment was directed against the generals under Marcus Anthony. Antony, who lost the battle with Octavian, was mostly a seasoned warrior under his command. These people were Anthony's most powerful assistants, but they once again fell victim to the "Law of Eleven Killing".
The generals who followed Anthony in the past can only wait for the verdict of fate with a pale face. They had fought side by side countless times, but now they had to say goodbye to each other. One of the unfortunate generals who was selected was Flavius, a henchman under Antony. General Flavius died in the face of a blow from the stone hammer, blood splattered and he died. This is undoubtedly a cruel mockery of the loser.
However, it is worth mentioning that this is also the last execution of the "Eleventh Killing Law" in history. In the centuries that followed, this terrible military rule, which had twice changed the course of Roman history, was gradually forgotten in the dust of history.
However, time has passed, and the horror of the "Eleventh Law of Killing" has not been annihilated by history. In the modern Second World War, this ancient system was revived.
In 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, a large-scale attack on Soviet territory. In the Battle of Stalingrad, the Soviet Red Army fought on its back and held the city for half a year. In the face of the ferocious attack of the German army, the phenomenon of ** and rout of the Soviet army was not uncommon. In order to improve military discipline, the Soviet Union once again used the "eleventh law".
Unlike in ancient Rome, this time the execution became incredibly efficient and fast. The advent of the pistol freed the "law of eleven smashing" from the ancient stone hammer punishment. In the cold wind, 11 defeated deserters stood side by side in a row, and they stared at the left *** in the hands of the soldiers, and the crowd was silent for a while.
Then, a third unlucky ghost fell to the ground, blood exploding in the snow. This scene frightened all the soldiers who witnessed it, and it became a page in their nightmare. Although this is the only one in modern times, it has become a historical image of the Second World War.
It is worth noting that in ancient Chinese military culture, there was also a terrible system similar to the "Eleventh Killing Law". Li Jing, a famous general of the Tang Dynasty, once created the military law of "three out of ten killings" when he was fighting against the people's uprising. According to this provision, if the army loses in battle, three out of every ten people will be brutally executed to set an example and deter the morale of the army.
According to Li Jing's military order, many serious dereliction of duty will trigger the "three out of ten killings", such as leaking military information, fleeing from battle, losing military positions, and so on. It is hard for us to imagine what kind of panic the implementation of such a cruel system will bring to the soldiers under Li Jing's command.
In a sense, Li Jing's "Three Out of Ten Kills" and the ancient Roman "Eleventh Killing Law" both reflect the extreme pursuit of military discipline during the war years. The logic behind the brutal system is similar, it is all about preventing the dispersal and flight of soldiers by killing one by killing one by one. In other words, this is a harsh method that commanders have had to adopt under specific historical conditions throughout the ages.
This leads us to reflect on the boundaries of what kind of human distortion will be pushed during the war years. It is also worth pondering whether we should look for more tolerant and benevolent institutions to restrain the dark side of human nature.
Looking back at history, we can't help but mourn the ancients who died under the "Law of Eleven Killing" and similar systems. They could have lived different lives, but they became dispensable screws in the war machine. When we reflect on the harsh military rules that were once held up as "justice" and necessity, should we also examine human nature itself as makers and bystanders?
In the 2,500 years that the "Law of Eleven Killing" has been repeated, we have seen too much distortion and darkness in it. It sheds light on the flawed side of humanity during the war years and warns us that something like this should not happen again. When we talk about such punishments and institutions, we inevitably feel an indescribable sadness in our hearts—it makes it difficult for the bright side of humanity to shine into this world.
However, we cannot deny that behind some cruel punishments, there is also a human need for order. Just as light cannot be dimmed, so is human nature, good and evil. Our task is to find a path through history that nurtures love, forgiveness, and reason.
Today, let us stop resentment and instead look at history, learn lessons, and think about human nature. We should build a more civilized and enlightened system to restrain the violent element of human nature. Only in this way can we avoid the recurrence of the tragedy of history. This is not only for the safety of the common people, but also for the last dignity of human nature.