But sending an executioner, that Isaiah , a hangman; for soldiers were executioners and attendants of the prætors, and were armed with javelins (spicula). Hence they were called spiculators. (the word in the Vulgate translated executioner is spiculator). Our Gretzer (lib1 , de Cruce, c25) is of opinion, from Suidas, that hangmen (carnifices) were called speculatores (for the Greek has ×£× ×•×š×Ÿ×¥×›ï¢×¤×©×–ב, which is really a Latin word, and the same as speculator), Gr. ×ŸÌ‰× ×¤×—Ìƒ×–×‘×¢, because it was their office to spy out the plans and movements of an enemy, to be around princes as their bodyguard, and to execute those whom they condemned. So also Franc. Lucas on this passage, Lipsius on Tacitus, and some others. These assert that Suetonius and Tacitus call a carnifex, speculalar. But they cite no passage in support of what they say. Neither have I been able to find any in which the word speculator is used for an executioner (carnifex), with the exception of this one in S. Mar...
