What historical technique of execution makes your hair stand on end?
The Brazen Bull.
It is said to have been employed as a form of execution in ancient Greece. To put it simply, the Brazen Bull was a bronze, hollow object formed exactly like a bull. On one side, there was a little door through which you could lock an unfortunate prisoner. The Brazen Bull was apparently designed to be the exact same size as a real bull, with a complex acoustic gear inside that would make agonizing screams sound like a bull bellowing. When the victim's charred bones were opened, they "shone like jewels and were turned into bracelets."
You may be wondering what causes a person to scream when inside tThe Brazen Bull, however, is not all doom and gloom. There is an interesting and hilarious anecdote that goes with it:
Perilaus, a well-known Athenian bronze-maker, devised the Brazen Bull as a method of executing offenders. He pitched the concept to Phalaris, the ruler of Acragas, and told him that the cries would be the "most beautiful of bellowings." Perilaus intended to be awarded for devising this novel form of execution, but all he received was deceived into going inside the bull and being immediately confined burning the person inside to death. . Disgusted by the design, Phalaris intended to use him to test the bull's sound system, so a fire was lit beneath him.he bull. So, a fire is placed beneath the bull, . As a result, Perilaus, the Brazen Bull's creator, became its first victim.
Perilaus was taken out of the bull by Phalaris, only to be taken to the top of a hill and then tossed off, killing him.
However, the story does not finish here. When Phalaris was ousted by Telemachus, he was reported to be thrown in and killed by the Brazen Bull.