The act of execution is certainly a punishment, but, historically, it has also been a method to demonstrate the power of a government, individual, or institution over an individual or an ideology. While many methods have been particularly barbaric and gruesome, condemning people to long, painful, and arduous deaths, their intention wasn’t to just punish the individual sentenced to a horrid fate. Execution is also a way to insight fear in the general public. Sometimes, the primary purpose is to instill fear and discourage any attempts to defy power.
In this gallery, we look at some of history’s most brutal methods of punishment. Curious? Click through for more information.