Condemnation to the mines
Roman-era punishment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Condemnation to the mines (Latin: Ad metalla, "to the mines") was a punishment that was most notably applied to senior Christian figures in the early Christian period in the Roman Empire, when it was called "Damnatio ad metalla".[1][self-published source] It was also applied to slaves, war captives and criminals.[2] Both Tertullian and Cyprian described it as a type of prolonged killing.[3]
Notable figures who were punished with condemnation to the mines
- Pope Pontian (Saint) died in 235, condemned to mines in Sardinia[4]
- Silvanus of Gaza (Bishop of Gaza) condemned to the copper mines of Phaeno[5]
- Saints Peleus and Nilus, condemned to the copper mines of Phaeno[6]