Decimation (punishment) - Wikipedia In the military of ancient Rome, decimation (from Latin decimatio 'destruction of a tenth'[1]) was a form of military discipline in which every tenth man in a group was executed by members of his cohort
DECIMATION Definition Meaning - Merriam-Webster Decimate is a word that often raises hackles, at least those belonging to a small but committed group of logophiles who feel that it is commonly misused
Decimatio: Myth, Discipline, and Death in the Roman Republic . . . The military punishment of decimatio, the cudgelling by lot of one in ten men in a disgraced unit, often described as a cornerstone of Roman military discipline, was never practised during the third and second centuries BC
The History Behind the Cruel Roman Practice of Decimation The practice of decimatio involved legions or cohorts judged guilty of cowardice, mutiny, or desertion, having to draw lots Every tenth legionary was slain as punishment for their crime
Decimation in Ancient Rome: Understanding the Brutal Military . . . Decimation, a term often associated with harsh military discipline, has its roots in ancient Rome This brutal practice involved the execution of one in every ten soldiers in a unit as punishment for cowardice or failure
Decimation: The Brutal Military Punishment Of Ancient Rome Decimation was used sparingly but effectively throughout the Roman army It often involved dividing the disobedient legion into groups of ten, then having the soldiers from each group draw lots
Decimation - definition of decimation by The Free Dictionary To inflict great destruction or damage on: The storm decimated the region b To reduce markedly in amount: a profligate heir who decimated his trust fund 3 To select by lot and kill one in every ten of (a group of soldiers)