Although the human mind can be considered a brilliant invention of evolution, it is also capable of horrendous imaginations. Throughout the centuries, the pages of history have sung about gruesome tales of torture, human ruthlessness, and the sadistic pleasure of both individuals and groups of people derived from seeing others in excruciating agony. Learn—if you dare—ten brutal ways people were executed in the ancient world.
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Crucifixion: From the Ancient World to the Modern
Starting off this macabre list is crucifixion. This was practiced both in the ancient world and as recently as the twentieth century. It was first introduced by the Assyrians and Babylonians, followed by the Persians, Alexander the Great, and the Phoenicians—who initiated it in Rome in the third century BC.
Crucifixion involved being tied or nailed to a wooden beam—or cross. Nails were pierced through the bones below the wrists to bear the weight of the person. It was a “brilliant” placement because no major blood vessels were hit—only the median nerve, which would cause the fingers to seize and the hands to flex down in an excruciating contracture. The feet were nailed to the vertical part of the cross, and once the legs weakened, the arms had to hold up the body, resulting in the shoulders being pulled from their sockets. The elbows and wrists would soon follow, with the arms now several inches longer. At this point, the chest had to bear the body’s weight, triggering respiratory problems, and eventual suffocation.
Rat Torture: Eaten Alive
As happy as the above dancing rats are, rat torture is right up there when it comes to one of the worst ways to go. The thing about rats is that they eat through anything. Thus, it comes as no great surprise that humans made a torture device out of them in the ancient world.
Typically, a rat was placed inside a small cage positioned against the victim’s abdomen. The cage was heated from the outside—either by a candle, flaming stick, or hot coals—causing the rat to become agitated. So, how could it escape? By clawing its way into the only available soft surface—human skin. Quite quickly, the rat would gnaw its way into the victim’s bowels, revealing unbearable agony in the process. This technique effectively got information out of prisoners and played on their psyches, adding a psychological element to the torture.