Canmoore

What do you think are the most barbarous forms of punishment through out the ages?

I was watching a show on the Romans, about how they scoured the empire for animals for there great games in the amphitheaters, it described in detail how they publicly punished criminals.

In Rome, people who committed serious crimes were no longer seen as human. So they were tied to stakes, and wheeled into the amphitheaters, and then great beasts like leopards, tigers, lions, bears, wolves.. would eat them alive.

Perhaps the most horrific way to die, however effective.

It showed the Roman people in the audience, that this is what happens when you break the law and cease to be human. In turn, you become a beast, and you must die by the beast.

Other forms of capital punishment...which was just purely bizarre and weird. A criminal would be dressed in an elegant gown, and pluck at a harp as animals such as birds, deer, rabbits and whatever would hop and fly around the person..symbolizing some story in history.. Than an angry bear would be released and it would charge and eat the criminal in some type of perverse symbolism.

sappersgt

Historically I'm thinking flaying. That is removing the victim's skin while still alive. I read that during the "peasants war" (baurenkrieg?) prisoners would have the skin removed from one of their arms, from the shoulder down. They were then left to die from shock (if you're lucky) or infection.

In modern times I think the "Joberg necklace" is right up there. Force a tire filled with gasoline or diesel over the victims shoulders and light them on fire. Anyone who's ever tried to get the water out of an old tire will understand. The molten rubber and gasoline mix is just like napalm. The victims agonised movements just spread it around. The worst part is it doesn't always kill right away, leaving a still breathing (barely) victim with all of the flesh burned away from their skull, chest and upper extremities. The most cruel and brutal way to die I can think of.

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tankie

Burnt alive at the stake .

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troung

When I saw the topic I was about to post the same thing.

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Trovinras

What Vlad did to the turkish troops.

Staking the survivors.

bolo121

The blood eagle

Trovinras

Did that even exist in reality?

maximusslade

Byzantium's putting out of the eyes.

Romes crucificion.

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bolo121

Cant be said for sure, depends on which intepretation of norse myths you give most weight to.
But still the nastiest method of execution i ever read of.

Trovinras

From what I have read there is some disagreement to whether it was fiction ore myth.

But yes nasty way to die on.

dave lukins

Boiling in oil