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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
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From Plutarch's Live of Coriolanus" " For the Romans treated their slaves with great humanity in these times, when, working and laboring themselves, and living together among them they naturally were more gentle and familiar with them. It was one of the severest punishments for a slave who had committed a fault, to have to take the piece of wood which supports the pole of a wagon, and carry it about through the neighborhood; a slave who had once undergone the shame of this, and been thus seen by the household and the neighbors, had no longer any trust or credit among them, and had the name of furcifer; furca being the Latin word for a prop, or support." An interesting picture of treatment of slaves by the Romans. Hard to imagine such a bit of humiliation being so effective a control of slaves' behaviour.
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Joined: Mar 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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So would furcifer be somewhat synonymous with pariah?
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
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Dear WO'N: Not that bad. It was apparently humiliating, not as bad as being a pariah.
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