Editing Decimation (punishment) (section)

=== Late antiquity ===

G. R. Watson notes that "its appeal was to those obsessed with ''nimio amore antiqui moris''" – that is, an excessive love for ancient customs – and notes, "decimation itself, however, was ultimately doomed, for though the army might be prepared to assist in the execution of innocent slaves, professional soldiers could hardly be expected to cooperate in the indiscriminate execution of their own comrades".{{sfn|Watson|1969|p=120}} After the [[Principate]], the punishment also falls into obscurity until late antiquity,{{sfn|Pearson|2019|p=666}} when it may have been used by the emperor [[Julian (emperor)|Julian]] during his Persian campaign.{{sfn|Taylor|2022|p=119, citing Ammianus, 24.3.2, which notes only three deaths}} The emperor [[Macrinus]] instituted a less harsh ''centesimatio'', the execution of every 100th man.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stephenson |first=Paul |title=Constantine: Roman emperor, Christian victor |date=2010 |isbn=978-1-59020-324-8 |edition=1st |location=New York |oclc=489014421 |page=68 }}</ref> 

{{cn span |text=The [[Byzantine Empire|Eastern Roman]] [[Maurice (emperor)|Emperor Maurice]] forbade in his [[Strategikon of Maurice|''Strategikon'']] the ''decimatio'' and other brutal punishments. According to him, punishments where the rank and file saw their comrades dying by the hands of their own brothers-in-arms could lead to a collapse of morale. Moreover, it could seriously deplete the manpower of the fighting unit. |date=March 2025}}