From wiki (and here):

Crucifixion was almost never performed for ritual or symbolic reasons outside of Christianity, but usually to provide a death that was particularly painful (hence the term excruciating, literally “out of crucifying”), gruesome (hence dissuading against the crimes punishable by it) and public (hence the metaphorical expression “to nail to the cross”), using whatever means were most expedient for that goal. Crucifixion methods varied considerably with location and time period.

Think about that the next time you say some was ‘excruciating’. Is really as painful as the crucifixion of our Lord and Saviour?