Inventor Of ‘The Most Painful Torture Device In History’ Was Its First Victim

The Brazen Bull was a bronze bull sculpture created in Ancient Greece by Perilaus and gifted to the tyrant Phalaris. It was hollowed out and used as a torture device, with victims placed inside and roasted alive by a fire underneath.

The man who created what is often considered to be ‘the most painful torture device in history’ was the first victim of his cruel invention.

There are numerous instances in history of painful methods for a person to pass away, and even scientists have offered their opinions on some of the most unpleasant passing.

Nobody would disagree, however, that being locked up inside the Brazen Bull, a centuries-old device used to torture and kill people, was one of the worst possible outcomes.

The torture tool was a bronze bull sculpture with a trapdoor built into it and a set of pipes near the mouth that was created in the sixth century BC by a Greek inventor.

It was envisioned that a person would be locked inside the Brazen Bull, a fire would be ignited beneath them, and the person would be cooked alive as the pipes altered the sound of their agonizing screams to imitate a roaring bull.

Phalaris was an abominable individual known for his horrifying brutality. He was either one of the evilest persons in history or he really infuriated some people to the point where they said he ate children because it is even claimed that he was a cannibal who ate newborn babies.

Despite being known for cruelty, it’s possible that Phalaris didn’t request the Brazen Bull in the first place. According to some accounts, Perilaus instead built the monstrous device on his own initiative and gave it to the tyrant in an effort to win over the tyrant.

Perilaus didn’t really take that into account when he gave the tyrant his gift, but if you believe the best way to make friends with a guy is to invent the worst torture device for him, then you might wonder if he’s a friend worth having.

When Perilaus climbed inside to demonstrate how his creation worked, he was locked inside and a fire was lit beneath him. Phalaris had requested the inventor to get inside the bull and show how the person inside making noises would sound to everyone on the outside.

The Brazen Bull’s inventor became its first victim, though he survived because Phalaris had him taken from the bull after he had been cooked alive for some time.

The tyrant had the inventor taken to the summit of a hill and thrown off to his death, so if he thought his ordeal was over, he was gravely mistaken.

The bull, meanwhile, remained in the possession of Phalaris and became the tyrant’s new favorite toy; anyone he didn’t like was tossed inside and cooked alive.

The bull’s rocking motion and the noises it made while someone was being burned to death were allegedly enjoyed by the tyrant, who later had the victims’ bones created into jewelry.

It would have been unbearable pain to be cooked alive inside the Brazen Bull, and a person might have endured the horror of being roasted alive for up to 10 minutes before passing away.

The tyrant was killed by being imprisoned inside his beloved Brazen Bull in 554 BC, putting a stop to his rule.

According to historical records, the Brazen Bull, which was a torture device, was not permanently removed from circulation after its initial use.

It was reported that the Carthaginians took the Brazen Bull from Agrigentum, a Roman city that was constructed on the ruins of Akragis. However, the Romans later reclaimed it from the Carthaginians.