In the movies on the crucifixion were committed a serious mistake, from the medical point of view, probably dictated by the official iconography that sees the crucifixion with the sounding of the nails at the palms of your hands.
In ancient Rome, things were different because from the anatomical point of view this method would lead to a laceration of the hand and the fall of the body forward, so the crucifixion took place with the sounding of the nails at the wrists.
Thus the torture lasted for several hours. The condemned tended to take a look "at fontoccio" with the body slid down between his shoulders. Accordingly, the sentenced tended to recover by force on the muscles of the legs to avoid traumatic asphyxia and in cases of great physical strength that procedure lasted for several hours.
In these cases it was expected crushing bones of the legs and subsequent death by asphyxiation. Another possible cause of death was hypovolemic shock. (Abstract).
This religious 30-year-old man reported the spontaneous appearance of uniform round ulcers on his hands and feet in the distribution of stigmata.
http://dermatlas.med.jhmi.edu/derm/indexdisplay.cfm?ImageID=21132665
Prof. Camillo O. Di Cicco, MD
American Association for the History of Medicine, Roma, Italy
7th EADV Spring Symposium, Cavtat/Croatia.
The crucifixion of Christ is interpreted as transcendental by John Paul II in his
apostolic letter Salvifici Doloris, 1984: "Christ did not respond directly
and does not respond in the abstract to this question about the human sense of
suffering ... but before All told, "Follow me." Come Take part through
your suffering in this work of salvation of the world, which is accomplished by
means of my suffering! Through my Cross. As the man takes up his cross,united
in spirit to the cross of Christ,is revealed to him the salvific meaning of
suffering. "