Simulation shows ancient Greek execution method that is 'the worst way to die'

Like Barbie, we've probably all thought about dying, but certainly not in this ancient Greek method branded the 'worst way to die'.

Between 570 and 554 BC, a tyrant called Phalaris ruled the Greek colony of what was known at the time as Akragas in Sicily, Italy.

Should you get on the wrong side of Phalaris? Well, let's just say the ruler had a pretty creative mind when it came to how to punish his subjects and there's one method in particular which has been branded the most torturous of them all - the brazen bull, also known as the bull of Sicily.

The unfortunate victims of Phalaris could be subject to a death some have dubbed it the “worst way to die”.

Designed by Phalaris’ sculptor Perilaus, the torture device saw subjects forced to climb inside a hollowed out, bronze bull.

A fire would then be lit underneath the bull, slowly heating the bronze and cooking the individual trapped inside.

Now, if you're burned to death in a fire, typically you'll pass out fairly fast from the smoke, but trapped inside a metal bull? Well, imagine being inside an oven and not being able to get out and you're close to the suffering of those who were put to death in the brazen bull - although, you don't fully have to imagine because a simulation has revealed how the device worked for you.

Neurobiologist Michele Boyd spoke on a 2008 show, Machines of Malice, explaining the painful minutes the victim would suffer before death, ultimately having panic attacks before being burnt to death.

“Instinctually if you are locked in any kind of dark space, you are trapped and you know you are not going to get out, panic is going to set in,” she said.

"You are going to have an acute stress response, your heart rate is going to increase. You are going to breathe a lot faster.

"Essentially you are going to start panicking as soon as the bull starts heating up."

Phalaris also appeared to have a twisted sense of humor about the whole ordeal as the torture device was fitted with a macabre feature.

As part of the cruel design, the head of the statue featured a system of tubes and pipes so that the victim's screams were converted into the sounds of an infuriated bull.

According to historians, to test out this feature, Phalaris demanded the sculptor climb inside and simulate a screaming victim.

Discovery

Unluckily for Perilaus, the tyrant's twisted sense of humor kicked in and he locked him inside and set a fire beneath, boiling him alive.

Ultimately showcasing that screaming victims did indeed sound like a raging bull.

Phalaris' horrific reign eventually came to an end when he was overthrown by a new leader named Telemachus in 554 BC, and in a twist of fate, the former oppressor was said to have been killed in the brazen bull, karma having been doled out in full force.

Topics: Health, World News, Animals, Science, Technology, Psychology

Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard is a Journalist at UNILAD and has dived headfirst into covering everything from breaking global stories to trending entertainment news. He has a bachelors in English Literature from Brunel University and has written across a number of different national and international publications. Most notably the Financial Times, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Newsweek.