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From: ethan@utastro.UUCP (Ethan Vishniac)
Newsgroups: net.followup,net.flame
Subject: Re: Re: Terrorism and TWA 847
Message-ID: <335@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 11-Jul-85 11:00:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: utastro.335
Posted: Thu Jul 11 11:00:51 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Jul-85 10:59:18 EDT
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Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
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Xref: watmath net.followup:5097 net.flame:11099

> > ->> Each and every time those Shi'ite (or however you spell
> > ->> it) terrorists kill a hostage, or let a hostage die,
> > ->> let's execute 5 or so of the people they're trying to
> > ->> have released.  That'll shut 'em up...
> > ->> 				SJBerry
> > ->
> > ->   Actually, the Adolph Hitler principle states that you should kill
> > ->ten of "their" people for each one of "ours".
> > ->H. Reza Taheri
> > ->
> > 
> > Don't credit Hitler with this policy, the Romans instituted it much earlier
> > and that's how we got the word "decimate".
> >     Dave Peak
> 
> My understanding of "decimation" was that it was a process whereby people
> were lined up and counted and every 10th person was killed.  Does anybody
> know for sure which meaning is the correct one?
> -- 
> Sophie Quigley

Sophie is right.  Decimation was a punishment used for group crimes, like
mutiny in the army.  I believe Suetonius gives some examples.
-- 

"Don't argue with a fool.      Ethan Vishniac
 Borrow his money."            {charm,ut-sally,ut-ngp,noao}!utastro!ethan
                               Department of Astronomy
                               University of Texas