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Castigation (from theLatincastigatio) orchastisement (via theFrenchchâtiment) is the infliction of severe (moral orcorporal)punishment. One who administers a castigation is acastigator orchastiser.
According to an etymology recorded byThomas Aquinas,[1]castigation specifically meant restoring one to a religiously pure state, calledchastity. In ancient Rome,castigatio censoria[2]could refer to actions by themagistrate called acensor (in the original sense, rather than the later politicized evolution), who castigated in the name of the pagan state religion but with the authority of the 'pious' state.
Christianity adopted this terminology but roughly restricted it to the physical sphere: chastity became a matter of approved sexual conduct, castigation usually meaningphysical punishment, either as a form ofpenance, as a voluntary pious exercise (seemortification of the flesh) or as educational or other coercion, while the use for other (e.g. verbal) punishments (and criticism etc.) is now often perceived as metaphorical.
Self-castigation is applied by the repentant culprit to himself, for moral and/or religious reasons, notably aspenance.
