Tortures and Torments of the Christian Martyrs

Images and Extracts from Tortures and Torments of the Christian Martyrs From the “De SS. Martyrum Cruciatibus” of the Rev. Father Galliano, translated and adapted by A. R. Allinson, M.A. Oxon., 1903

The book is illustrated with 46 somewhat gruesome plates. The French version is online at the Library of Congress. I have scanned the images at higher resolution, but have not scanned the text.

I note that the text clearly claims in more than one place that the Jews crucified Christ, even though the Gospels are quite clear that it was the Romans and not the Jews. This appears to have been standard Roman Catholick doctrine for many centuries.

The book first appeared in 1591; the copper-plate engravings were engraved by Antonio Tempesta of Firenza (Florence) after the designs of Giovanni de Guerra of Modena, painter to Pope Sixtus V. The book was intended for the “edification of the faithful” and was issued with the approval and authority of the Roman Catholic Church.

The edition of which I have a copy claims to be the first in English, and was produced in 1903. Alfred Richard Allinson appears to have been active as a translator from the 1860s until 1913; subsequent books bearing his name as translator appear to be using older texts. As a result I believe this text to be in the public domain.

I am also working on a transcription of the text of this book; the table of contents only gives Chapter 1 so far.

Front Cover

The cover of the book.

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Title Page

Tortures and Torments of the Christian Martyrs
From the “DE SS MARTYRUM CRUCIATIBUS”
OF THE REV. FATHER GALLONIO [more...]

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1.—Martyrs suspended by one or both feet, by the arms with heavy weights attached to the feet; crucified; Christian women hung up by the hair

A. Martyrs suspended by one foot.
B. Suspended by both feet.
C. Raised on the cross head uppermost.
D. Nailed to the cross, head downwards.
E. Hung up by both arms, heavy weights being attached to the feet.
F. Christian women suspended by the hair.
G. Martyrs hung up by one arm only, ponderous stones being fastened to their feet. [more...]

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2.—Bound hand and foot to stakes and smeared with honey, and so left exposed to the sun, to be tortured by the stings of bees and other insects

A. Martyr suspended by both feet, and a great stone fastened to his neck. B. Sometimes the Blessed Martyrs, after being smeared with honey, were bound [naked] to stakes fixed in the ground, and so exposed to the rays of the sun, to be tortured by the stings of flies and bees. C. Martyr suspended by one foot; one leg is bent at the knee, which is constricted [...] [more...]

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3.—Suspended by the thumbs, heavy stones being fastened to the feet; hung up over a slow fire and beaten

A. Martyr suspended by his thumbs, heavy stones being attached to his feet.
B. Christians hung up, and a slow fire kindled underneath, so as to suffocate them with the smoke; the victims being scourged meantime with rods. [more...]

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4.—Suspended by the feet, and the head beaten with hammers, etc.

A. Martyr suspended by the feet, and his head at the same time pounded with hammers.
B. Martyr suspended by the hands, which are tied behind his back, heavy weights being fastened to his feet and round his neck. [more...]

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5.—Suspended with great weights on the shoulders, and a gag fixed in the mouth.

A. Martyr suspended by the hands, which are bound behind his back, and having the shoulders weighted with lumps of salt, a wooden gag being also forced into his mouth.
B. Martyr suspended by a hook. [more...]

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6.—Martyrs bound to the circumference of a great wheel, and rolled down a precipice

“Sometimes Martyrs were bound to the circumference of great wheels, and so hurled from a height over stony places.” (p. 26) [more...]

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7.—Fastened to a wheel, which is revolved over iron spikes

A. Martyr whose limbs are interwoven in the spokes of a wheel, on which he is left exposed for days, till he dies. [more...]

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8.—Revolved over a blazing fire

A. Martyr bound naked to a wheel, which is revolved over iron spikes. [more...]

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$Id: mkgallery,v 1.64 2008/01/02 04:05:10 lee Exp lee $