บท 284: Cross

"Ὁ λόγος δηλοῖ ὅτι οἷα ἡ πρόθεσίς ἐστιν ἀδικεῖν, παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς οὐδὲ δικαία ἀπολογία ἰσχύει"

(The Tyrant shall never fail to find an excuse to serve his tyranny) 

-        The Wolf and The Lamb, Aesop.

A man wearing a grey robe riding on a stallion horse is pulled by a Janissary to a safe distance beneath the walls, together with him there are two large wooden planks of a height slightly taller than an adult male.

"What are they trying to do?" Alexios asked curiously. "Is this some sort of ritual of the Ottomans that they must do before any battle?"

"Nay, this is a public execution." Explained the Mamluk Calvary commander Mamsriqwe as he eyed the ongoing event emotionlessly. "It is called Çarmıh, done by nailing the naked man on to two wooden planks crossed together and then whip him to death. A kind of execution ritual that is quite popular among your Rumelians… I remember it is called…"