a mode of inflicting the punishment of death by affixing the criminal to a cross. This kind of punishment was frequent among the ancients; but in recent times it has been confined chiefly to the Mohammedans. On receiving sentence of condemnation, the criminal was scourged, by way of prelude to the cruel death he was doomed to die. He then carried his cross, or at least the transverse beam, to the place of execution, where he was stripped naked, and affixed to the cross by means of iron nails driven through each hand and foot, or through the wrists and ankles; and the arms and legs were sometimes bound with cords. When the criminal, instead of being nailed to the cross, was bound to it by cords, this was designed as a more cruel, because a more lingering, punishment. Crucifixion with the head downwards (the mode in which St Peter is said to have chosen to suffer, as unworthy of the same kind of death as his Master) may be considered as a refinement on this barbarous species of punishment. See Cross.