Editing Corporal punishment (section)

===Middle Ages===
In [[Medieval Europe]], the [[Byzantine Empire]] [[Blinding (punishment)|blinded]] and [[Rhinectomy|removed the noses]] of some criminals and rival emperors. Their belief that the emperor should be physically ideal meant that such disfigurement notionally disqualified the recipient from office. (The second reign of [[Justinian II|Justinian the Slit-nosed]] was the notable exception.) Elsewhere, corporal punishment was encouraged by the attitudes of the [[History of the Catholic Church|Catholic church]] towards the human body, [[flagellation]] being a common means of self-discipline. This had an influence on the use of corporal punishment in schools, as educational establishments were closely attached to the church during this period. Nevertheless, corporal punishment was not used uncritically; as early as the 11th century [[Saint Anselm]], [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] was speaking out against what he saw as the excessive use of corporal punishment in the treatment of children.<ref>Wicksteed, Joseph H. ''The Challenge of Childhood: An Essay on Nature and Education'', Chapman & Hall, London, 1936, pp. 34–35. {{OCLC|3085780}}</ref>