About Jim Miller Expertise Greco-Roman world and literature. 16th Century Anabaptism and the Radical Reformation. Cannot answer questions about Russia, China, Japan, or the Far East
Question Was theft a capital crime in the Roman Empire during the first century C.E.? Was all capital punishment carried out by crucifixion?
Answer First an answer to your second question. Crucifixion was an extreme form of capital punishment, never used on Roman citizens (who usually were executed by beheading). Crucifixion was for extreme crimes, such as a slave who murders his master or a revolutionary. It was also practiced on rebellious provinces. Rarely would a thief be executed for theft alone, much less by crucifixion. A pickpocket might get heavy punishment, but probably not execution.
Of course, often theft occurred in the context of violence to the owner. Think of the wounded man in Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan. If you remember the animated Christmas show The Little Drummer Boy, the boy loses his parents and watches his home burn because thieves come in the middle of the night. This is probably why two "thieves" were crucified with Jesus. Their theft probably included rape, pillage, murder and arson, and maybe rebellion against Rome as well.
I hope this is helpful.
Jim Miller
