english: The death penalty was a sanction for a long list of non-violent crimes: criticizing the king, stealing a loaf of bread. Slavery, of course, was the preferred labor-saving device, and cruelty was a popular form of entertainment. Perhaps the most vivid example was the practice of cat burning, in which a cat was hoisted on a stage and lowered in a sling into a fire, and the spectators shrieked in laughter as the cat, howling in pain, was burned to death.
non_english: Trest smrti sa udeľoval za mnohé nenásilné zločiny: kritika kráľa, krádež chleba... Samozrejme obľúbeným a praktickým trestom bolo otroctvo a ľudia sa radi zabávali na krutých činoch. Asi najjasnejším príkladom je upaľovanie mačiek. Mačku na javisku spustili rovno do ohňa a diváci umierali od smiechu, až zviera zavýjajúce od bolesti nakoniec uhorelo.