Hmm.... historical question with religious overtones... sorry

[DavidC]

I watched the Movie The Gospel of John, recently. I don't know how close the movie is to the book, or how close the book is to history, and that's not really the point.

The two dudes that were crucified next to Jesus were removed prior to the Sabbath that started the religious holiday in Jerusalem (I think?).

Prior to being removed, their legs were broken. Jesus' apparently weren't because he was found to be already dead.

So, my question is, why did the romans break the legs of the people removed from the crucifixes? Was it a form of punsishment?

Also, what happened to them after they were removed? Were they just jailed then put back up after the sabbath, or were they free?