Decimation (John Beaver, Roman Military Punishments, 1725) 1725 - 1779

"Decimation," an etching by William Hogarth, depicts a scene of Roman military punishment. The scene shows soldiers lined up before an officer who is pointing his sword at the condemned men. This etching is one of a series that depicts different forms of punishment in the Roman military. Hogarth, known for his satirical and moralizing works, likely created these engravings to draw attention to the brutality of military discipline. The detailed etching of the scene highlights the human suffering involved in the punishment, which was a practice of killing one in ten soldiers as a form of collective punishment.