A real man's man kind of torture

The brazen bull is an executioner’s device invented in Ancient Greece. Its inventor, Perillos of Athens, proposed to Phalaris; a tyrant, the need of a more painful way to kill criminals to dissuade the poor population from committing any more crimes. In addition, being burned alive was exciting to watch and it was thought that it would be great entertainment during dinner. Remember, there was no CSI or Sopranos to watch back then. A complex system of tubes inside the bull made the victim's screams sound like an infuriated ox, added for the obvious entertainment value.

The brass monster was hollow and had a door in the side, large enough for a man to fit through. A fire lit at the bottom of the bull slowly roasted alive the victim inside. As the metal heated up, it would glow and fragrant incense smoke would rise from the top. After this slow roasting, the victim's bones were said to shine, and bracelets were made out of them. Bracelets for whom? Phalarus ordered Perillos to test the sound system himself as apparently he was very disgusted by this invention. Perillos was ordered inside the beast, the fire was lit and the gathering crowd heard, for the first time, the angry bull as amplified by the screaming inventor. Perillos didn't die though, he was removed from the belly of the hot bull and later that day the indignant Phalarus had him thrown over a cliff which did kill him.

What is fascinating to me is what I did not find when I read about this online. Why a brass bull? How did Perillos think of it? What inspired him? Yes, he was trying to please Phalarus by making a torture device that was pleasant enough to have nearby while eating. The sounds of death and screaming can be so unsettling, especially while dining, so if the goal was really the entertainment factor then by that measure his invention was a success. Why was Phalarus so angry? He couldn't have had any foreshadowing of his own demise - or could he? Yes, Phalarus himself was killed by this very beast when his government was overthrown.

I’ve never spent five minutes thinking about torture devices. Certain things belong in the dark under belly of the world and don't need to be discussed by civilized people, do they? I like pleasant things. I like things that taste good, smell good, and are fun by nature. I like yellow - bright, happy, sunny things. I also like to laugh when I'm being entertained. Maybe I would have sat back, savored the broasted chicken drumsticks, sipped the wine, and enjoyed the pleasant aromas and sounds escaping from the bull. After all, didn’t those pesky criminals have it coming? However, I would have absolutely drawn the line at wearing a shiny bone bracelet.

Oh and really scary…there is a guy called the Brazen Bull on My Space (with over 300 "friends") ,who has a song called Reckless, which has been downloaded 1320 times. Listen to the song – now that’s torture.