How did the soldier get the dead guy on the cross all by himself in "The Widow of Ephesus"?

As a practical matter, readers almost always ask about how
the Soldier might have single-handedly put the dead husband on the cross. There seems to
be uncertainty about the exact procedures of crucifixion, but apparently, ancient
crosses were laid out on the ground, and they were not raised until the condemned
persons were fastened to them with spikes through the wrists and feet. Therefore it
would not have been impossible for the Soldier to have handled the unpleasant job
himself. Incidentally, crucifixion as a form of execution was outlawed in the Roman
Empire during the fourth century, after Christianity became the official state
religion.