The Bull of Phalaris, also known as the Brass Bull or Perilaus's Bull, is one of history's most gruesome examples of ancient cruelty. This horrific device was created by the sculptor Perilaus around 570-560 BC, under the orders of the tyrant Phalaris of Acragas (modern-day Agrigento, Sicily). The bull was a large, hollow bronze sculpture in the shape of a bull, designed to fit a human inside. Once a person was placed inside, a fire was lit beneath the bull, causing it to heat up. The victim would be roasted alive, and their screams would be funneled through a complex system of tubes and resonators, mimicking the bellowing of the bull itself. This cruel mechanism allowed Phalaris to hear the tortured cries of his victims as though they were coming from the bull, adding a terrifying layer of symbolism to the execution.

The story takes an ironic and tragic turn when Perilaus, the inventor of this terrifying device, fell victim to the very machine he had designed. According to the 2nd-century AD satirist Lucian, Perilaus first presented the bull to Phalaris, hoping to impress him with his ingenuity. Instead, Phalaris, notorious for his cruelty, decided that the sculptor should experience the device firsthand. Perilaus was imprisoned inside the bull, where he met a fitting and horrifying end. The tale of Perilaus and the Bull of Phalaris serves as a chilling reminder of the lengths to which tyrants would go to instill fear and control, and of the tragic fate that befell the man who created such a terrifying device. Illustrations of this gruesome invention can be found in museums like the Museum of Torture in Bruges, Belgium, where visitors can gain a sense of the device's terrifying purpose.