Few punishments in history rival the barbarity and sadistic creativity displayed by the brazen bull, an ancient execution method. Originating in Ancient Greece, this brutal device aimed not only to end lives but also to instill terror, transforming human agony into a grotesque spectacle. The brazen bull, a life-sized hollow bronze cast of the animal, was created around 6BC by Perilaus, an Athenian craftsman, for Phalaris, the tyrannical ruler of Acragas in Sicily. It was promoted as the ultimate deterrent for potential criminals.
For those unfortunate enough to find themselves inside the bull, the horror escalated rapidly. A fire beneath the bull slowly heated the bronze, inflicting a torturous death on the individual enclosed within. The bull’s head featured a complex system of tubes and chambers that distorted the victim’s screams, producing sounds akin to an enraged animal’s bellowing.
To bystanders, the agonizing cries emanating from the bull resembled the roars of a beast rather than the cries of a dying human. Victims could endure up to 10 minutes of conscious suffering while being slowly roasted alive. Allegedly, Phalaris was so enamored with the bull that he tested it on Perilaus, its creator, before sparing him from a complete execution. Instead, Perilaus was pushed off a hill after the demonstration.
Phalaris took a particular liking to the brazen bull as a method of disposing of his enemies, even fashioning jewelry from their bones for his own amusement. However, in 554BC, the tyrant faced his downfall and experienced the same fate he had inflicted on others, being forced into the bull himself. Historians debate the frequency of the bull’s use, with some suggesting it was rare while others claim it targeted enemies of the state, rebels, and challengers of authority.
Christian accounts detail the bull’s use against believers, such as Saint Eustace and Saint Antipas, who suffered gruesome deaths inside the brazen contraption at the hands of cruel emperors. These horrifying executions continued into the 3rd century, with individuals like Pelagia of Tarsus meeting their demise in the fiery belly of the bull in 287CE.