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The Worst Punishments in History???


spittle

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So maybe, on rare occasions, people could burn off their hands on determination alone?

 

Reminds me of Livy's tale about Scaevola. Which brings up an interesting question: What kind of people were the Romans that they nicknamed a valiant hero, who gave up his right hand for his country, "Lefty"?

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Reminds me of Livy's tale about Scaevola. Which brings up an interesting question: What kind of people were the Romans that they nicknamed a valiant hero, who gave up his right hand for his country, "Lefty"?

 

It sounds as though they had a black and wicked sense of humour! In fact, it's not unlike that of Northern England. :D

 

Come to think of it, a thread on the Romans' humour may prove interesting.... and at least it would get us away from all this torture! :D

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No one's mentioned the Brazen Bull.

 

Hollow, bull-shaped and made out of bronze or iron. Put victim inside, light fire underneath and watch as they slowly roast to death. For added warped factor make the bulls nose a horn configuration which amplifies the victim's screams to mimic that of a real bull.

 

Supposedly favored by the Greeks and, like many things, adopted by our Romans.

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While certainly not the worst (or even deadly for that matter), one of the strangest punishments in 18th century was to "ride the wooden horse". This punishment, which was popular in Prussia under Frederick the Great's rule; was a typical military punishment. The guilty would be forced to sit on a sharp backed 'wooden horse' with weights attached to their feet for a very long time. Another painful punishment was to be forced to run the gauntlet - where you would be lashed from two sides as you walked between two ranks of soldiers. This punishment is displayed in Kubrick's Barry Lyndon.

 

Although these certainly don't measure up to the other tortures and punishments mentioned in this thread, they certainly would have been very painful to those who had to suffer them.

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Another one ... not sure where it is from ... has a rat placed in a cup, which is then held or secured (open side down) over the victim's navel.

 

Oh, that is very strange! I don't know which would be worse, the pain, or the strangeness factor.

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