Legal Definitions - wheel

In a historical legal context, the term wheel refers to a severe form of capital punishment and torture predominantly used in medieval Europe.

It describes:

• An instrument of torture: A large wooden wheel or cross-shaped device to which a condemned person was bound, often with their limbs stretched.
• The act of torture itself: The process where the bound individual's bones were systematically broken, typically with an iron bar, leading to extreme suffering and often death.

Here are some examples illustrating the historical use of the term:

• Historical Legal Records: A 14th-century court record from the Holy Roman Empire might detail a sentence stating, "For the crime of regicide, the accused shall be broken upon the wheel until death."

  This example illustrates the term as a prescribed method of execution, emphasizing its use as a legal punishment for severe offenses.

• Execution Accounts: A chronicler documenting public punishments in a medieval city might write, "The crowd gathered to witness the execution of the brigand, who suffered for hours on the wheel before succumbing to his injuries."

  Here, "wheel" refers to both the instrument and the agonizing process of torture and execution, highlighting its public and brutal nature.

• Legal Treatises: A historical legal scholar analyzing different forms of capital punishment might discuss the "breaking on the wheel" as a particularly gruesome method reserved for crimes deemed most heinous, such as aggravated murder or treason.

  This example shows the term being used in academic or analytical discussions of historical law, categorizing it among other severe penalties.