The Persian Empire arguably trumped them all, however, when it created scaphism around 500 B.C.E.
This ancient execution method was also known as “the boats,” as victims were placed in two hollowed-out logs or boats before their suffering even began.
With their heads and limbs sticking out and their bodies trapped inside, the victim was force-fed milk and honey.
Their uncontrollable diarrhea filled the boats as executioners poured honey over the victim’s face — and vermin arrived to not only feast upon the prisoners, but enter their bodies to fatally eat them from the inside out.
Oh god the wikipedia page has some vile descriptions too. Especially the last part for Mithridates
In this way Mithridates, after suffering for seventeen days, at last expired.
I like how everyone is just ignoring this part:
However, Ctesias’s credibility is questionable due to his reputation for fanciful and exaggerated narratives.
No it’s more about the horror of the story than the legitimacy of it.
It was long thought that the Greek God Glycon was a work of fiction for similar reasons. That was until an artifact of Glycon worship was found and later other prints.
We know there were hundreds of Greek underworld gods but only 3 names fully survive today.
Much of what was written has been lost for various instances of destruction.
Removed by mod
I learned this as spontaneous generation, the obsolete theory that life could appear directly from things that are not alive.
yo what the fuck
Like most of these “oh my God so brutal” execution methods, scaphism probably never actually happened or is at least exaggerated. Ctesias wrote the only first-hand account of the punishment ever being delivered and his credibility among modern historians is a bit… questionable. Plutarch’s own writings on scaphism were lifted straight from Ctesias, as well.
Even if scaphism did actually happen like Ctesias wrote, it’s not like it was a normal thing.
even if it happened only one or twice, even if it didn’t happen at all - someone had to think about it in enough detail to create a torture method beyond most people’s imagination
now the chinease/japanese and the human sashimi competitions most likely did happen
The what
look up “lingchi”
I have the feeling I shouldn’t
Edit: Nevermind I already knew about it I just didn’t know it’s name
Haha Ctesias that jokester. Always exaggerating stories. Haha, wait he’s joking right?
There’s an episode of “Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell” that covers this thing, and i gotta say fellas, that is some of the most fucked up shit.
So many bugs, SO MANY BUGS
Explain
Ancient torture/execution method. Tie you to a boat (or trap you between two boats) and stuff you full of milk and honey, then pour some on you for good measure. The idea is that there are many biting insects and unpleasant things that will be attracted to the milk and honey. Being tied/trapped means your hands aren’t free to deal with them. Secondly, a large amount of milk and honey is a really good way to get diarrhea. So eventually, you’ll have to deal with that, and biting insects are more likely to swarm around you if you’re covered in literal shit. The victims usually die from exposure, but they will have an exceedingly unpleasant time before they expire. Very common to have… Soft tissue areas… Completely consumed before death.
What did they give to vegan torturees?
Milk and honey would be my guess.
YIKES
NO-
