In the old days, people were sentenced to death for all sorts of crimes: from murder to petty theft. Most often, executions were public, so in order to attract more onlookers, they tried to make the act of killing more spectacular. And in this human imagination there were no boundaries.
Brazen bull
Before the execution, the condemned was cut off his tongue, and then locked him inside a copper bull. A huge fire was lit under the bull, and the poor fellow was practically roasted alive in it. Due to the lack of a language, he could not scream, so all that was left for him was to beat against the hot walls. From the blows the bull staggered and seemed to come to life, causing stormy delight in the crowd.
Execution by ashes
The person was locked in a cramped, unventilated room filled with ash. The offender died in long agony, which sometimes lasted several days or weeks.
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Elephant execution
A person sentenced to death was handed over to be torn apart by a specially trained executioner elephant. He trampled on the victim, and she died from injuries. Moreover, those criminals to whom the elephant stepped on the head, one might say, were still lucky - they died quickly and without torment - while others could be tormented by the elephant for hours.
Bamboo execution
The well-known property of bamboo - rapid growth - was also used by a sick human imagination to torture those sentenced to death. The human body was placed over the shoots of young bamboo, and the plant grew through it, causing unthinkable suffering to the victim.
Milk and honey
The convict was placed in a boat, fixing his body in such a way that he could not move. For a long time, the poor fellow was fed only with milk and honey. If he refused to eat, they poked him in the eye with a sharp stick until he opened his mouth. The skin of the condemned was also coated with honey. Soon, hordes of insects, attracted by the sweet smell, pounced on the body and literally ate the poor man alive.
Bloody eagle
With this method of execution, the condemned was tied up and laid on his stomach. Then the skin on the back was ripped open and all the ribs were chopped off with an ax so that they would stick out like wings. After that, the person, as a rule, was still alive. For greater torment, the wounds were sprinkled with salt. And only after some time the person was finally allowed to die, having torn out the heart and lungs from the tortured body.
Necklace
This type of execution has already been invented today. A rubber tire filled with gasoline is put on a person's neck or waist and set on fire. The sentenced to death suffocates from acrid smoke and burns alive.