Poena cullei

"One of the worst deaths in history."

"History books are full of grim examples of torture, punishment, and execution. Even the Romans, who are often heralded for their supposed civility, were well-versed in cruel and inhumane ways to end another person’s life, from crucifixion to the notorious bronze screaming bull. But of these methods, one has gained an especially feared reputation over the centuries: poena cullei."

"Poena Cullei is the most cruel and unusual punishment ever dreamt up. The “punishment of the sack” makes crucifixion sound like a walk in the park."

"The penalty of parricide, as prescribed by our ancestors, is that the culprit shall be beaten with rods stained with his blood, and then shall be sewed up in a sack with a dog, a rooster, a snake, and a monkey, and the bag cast into the depth of the sea, that is to say, if the sea is near at hand; otherwise, he shall be thrown to wild beasts, according to the constitution of the Deified Hadrian."

"Some historians suspect the punishment wasn’t actually carried out in reality. After all, getting a dog and an ape into the same sack would not be an easy task. Many argue it was only used as a threat designed as a deterrent to terrify anyone who even thought of killing their parents. Others believe it involved tying the accused up in a leather sack but perhaps didn’t involve the addition of other beasts."

"Many historians have thought that the practicalities of sewing up a dog, a monkey, a rooster, a snake, and a human in a sack together indicates that the penalty was never actually enforced – for one thing, it would be as much a punishment for the executioners as it would for the condemned."