Detail of an engraving in De Cruce Libri Tres by Justus Lipsius, 1570. Impalement, as a method of execution and also torture, is the penetration of a human by an object such as a stake, pole, spear, or hook, often by complete or partial perforation of the torso. It was used particularly in response to crimes against the state and regarded across a number of cultures as a very harsh form of capital punishment and recorded in myth and art.

---

Impalement, Method of Torture and Execution, 1570

---

Size: 2870px × 4800px
Location:
Photo credit: © Science History Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1570, 1570s, 16th, bw, capital, century, cruce, cruelty, de, detail, device, engraving, execute, execution, harsh, history, impale, impaled, impalement, impaling, infamous, instrument, justus, libri, lipsius, man, method, penetration, pole, punishment, stake, suffering, torture, tres, victim