It is believed that the art of tattooing-generally referring to the oldest Greek and Roman tattoos-began in Greece around 700 BC. However, unlike the Egyptians, the Greeks regarded tattoos as a punishment, which is the most cruel. Slaves have tattoos so that they can be easily identified when they try to escape. Criminals will print their crimes on their foreheads or other easy-to-see positions. This not only makes prisoners easy to be identified when trying to escape from prison, but also continues to be punished even after they are released.
This practice was so feared and despised by Greek citizens that it appeared in many Greek documents. Famous Greek writers and philosophers discussed the unworthy behavior of marking in their works and expounded the atrocities of Greek tattoos. Herodotus was a Greek historian who lived from 484 BC to 426 BC. He described people who received tattoos in Greece, criminals, slaves and prisoners of war. Sometimes, his works tell us that individuals will be tattooed as a way to transmit secret information through hostile lines. However, this is the only acceptable form of voluntary tattooing. The Greeks firmly believe that anyone who participates in voluntary tattooing is a savage-for example, a Maenads woman whose name is roughly translated as "crazy woman" or "violent woman". Many other writers in that period also discussed the use of tattoos from the perspective of discipline. Xenophon, aristophanes, Eliou Aristides, Escuines and Hiro all mentioned this process in their works. There are still some people, such as Plato, who encourage this. He once wrote that thieves should mark their crimes on their hands and faces, and those found guilty of blasphemy should be branded and expelled from society. Historian Zonare wrote a particularly annoying story, in which the Greek emperor Theophilo used tattoos to punish two monks who publicly belittled him. His harsh revenge included drawing their foreheads and faces with 1 1 a vulgar iambic pentameter. Herod mentioned this process in their writings. There are still some people, such as Plato, who encourage this. He once wrote that thieves should mark their crimes on their hands and faces, and those found guilty of blasphemy should be branded and expelled from society. Historian Zonare wrote a particularly annoying story, in which the Greek emperor Theophilo used tattoos to punish two monks who publicly belittled him. His harsh revenge included drawing their foreheads and faces with 1 1 a vulgar iambic pentameter. Herod mentioned this process in their writings. There are still some people, such as Plato, who encourage this. He once wrote that thieves should mark their crimes on their hands and faces, and those found guilty of blasphemy should be branded and expelled from society. Historian Zonare wrote a particularly annoying story, in which the Greek emperor Theophilo used tattoos to punish two monks who publicly belittled him. His harsh revenge included drawing their foreheads and faces with 1 1 a vulgar iambic pentameter. Those who are found guilty of blasphemy should be branded and expelled from society. Historian Zonare wrote a particularly annoying story, in which the Greek emperor Theophilo used tattoos to punish two monks who publicly belittled him. His harsh revenge included drawing their foreheads and faces with 1 1 a vulgar iambic pentameter. Those who are found guilty of blasphemy should be branded and expelled from society. Historian Zonare wrote a particularly annoying story, in which the Greek emperor Theophilo used tattoos to punish two monks who publicly belittled him. His harsh revenge included drawing their foreheads and faces with 1 1 a vulgar iambic pentameter.
The Greeks copied tattoos as a punishment in Roman society-but, as the Romans tended to do, in a bigger way. They continued to put their own marks on slaves, criminals and others who were considered inappropriate by Rome. For example, slaves exported in trade will be marked with the words "paid taxes" on their foreheads. Many emperors participated in this direct form of punishment, including Julius Caesar, Cicero, Galen and seneca. However, perhaps it was caligula the Great who raised this heinous act to a new height. Suetone, one of the early writers in Roman times, described in detail that sadistic and crazy emperors would irregularly tattoo members of his court-just like some form or hobby in the past.
Punitive tattoos continued into the war between Romans and Christians. There is a passage in the book of revelation that mentions "* * * of Babylon". As a slave of the empire, her bad habits are tattooed on her face. Throughout the historical text, it is also mentioned that Christians survived the imprisonment in Rome and returned to their hometown. Their tattoos are worn as badges of honor because they are regarded as heroes by the community.
Like most injustices, when Rome entered the rule of Constantine the Great, facial tattoos as punishment finally ended. As the first Christian emperor in Rome, Constantine (reigned from 306 to 337 AD) banned tattoos, claiming that people's faces were made in the image of God, and it was a blasphemy to defile them regardless of personal achievements.