1 00:00:06,965 --> 00:00:10,545 Narrator: Tonight, the truth the behind the origin stories 2 00:00:10,677 --> 00:00:14,427 of some of the most brutal torture methods ever created by man. 3 00:00:14,556 --> 00:00:18,766 You’re literally being ripped apart while someone is in your face 4 00:00:18,894 --> 00:00:20,604 demanding that you confess. 5 00:00:20,729 --> 00:00:22,559 Larissa Tracy: It would be opened up, 6 00:00:22,689 --> 00:00:24,769 and then it would stretch the tendons, 7 00:00:24,900 --> 00:00:26,070 it would stretch the muscles. 8 00:00:26,193 --> 00:00:28,243 It might break teeth. 9 00:00:28,362 --> 00:00:30,072 Narrator: Dark devices meant to deliver 10 00:00:30,155 --> 00:00:32,315 unbearable pain and suffering. 11 00:00:32,407 --> 00:00:36,327 From a mysterious metal maiden... 12 00:00:36,411 --> 00:00:38,541 Daniel Dickrell: There would be 20 strategically placed spikes 13 00:00:38,622 --> 00:00:40,832 that were meant to impale the body. 14 00:00:40,916 --> 00:00:43,746 Narrator: ...to a terrifying bronze beast. 15 00:00:43,877 --> 00:00:47,127 Daniel Dickrell: The people inside would be cooked alive. 16 00:00:47,256 --> 00:00:51,046 Narrator: When and where did these cruel contraptions emerge, 17 00:00:51,134 --> 00:00:56,814 and do they prove that there can be a fate worse than death? 18 00:00:56,932 --> 00:00:58,272 "Stop ripping my body apart. 19 00:00:58,392 --> 00:01:01,142 I will do whatever you want me to do." 20 00:01:01,270 --> 00:01:05,820 Narrator: Not all inventions are made with good intentions. 21 00:01:06,942 --> 00:01:08,902 Unlock the twisted history 22 00:01:08,986 --> 00:01:12,196 behind the world’s darkest marvels. 23 00:01:15,450 --> 00:01:17,330 The period of European history 24 00:01:17,452 --> 00:01:19,832 between the 5th and 14th centuries 25 00:01:19,955 --> 00:01:24,335 is known as the Dark Ages for a reason. 26 00:01:24,459 --> 00:01:27,299 It’s an era rife with political rivalries, 27 00:01:27,421 --> 00:01:31,341 religious intrigues, and cruel devices 28 00:01:31,466 --> 00:01:35,046 used to extract information and cause pain. 29 00:01:35,137 --> 00:01:38,887 Torture devices are interesting to people 30 00:01:38,974 --> 00:01:41,684 because they’re the stuff of nightmares. 31 00:01:41,810 --> 00:01:44,480 Aaron Irvin: The purpose of torture was not to kill the person 32 00:01:44,563 --> 00:01:45,983 that was being tortured. 33 00:01:46,106 --> 00:01:48,016 You wanted something from that person. 34 00:01:48,150 --> 00:01:51,360 You wanted information, you wanted a confession, 35 00:01:51,486 --> 00:01:53,356 you wanted to extort money from them. 36 00:01:53,488 --> 00:01:55,738 You didn’t get that if they died. 37 00:01:58,660 --> 00:02:00,580 Narrator: Among the most notorious devices 38 00:02:00,662 --> 00:02:02,542 said to hail from the Dark Ages, 39 00:02:02,664 --> 00:02:06,714 none captures the imagination more 40 00:02:06,835 --> 00:02:09,205 than the infamous iron maiden. 41 00:02:09,338 --> 00:02:13,508 A metal casket towering nearly seven feet tall, 42 00:02:13,634 --> 00:02:16,554 its exterior features a woman’s face, 43 00:02:16,678 --> 00:02:20,888 one allegedly inspired by the Virgin Mary. 44 00:02:21,016 --> 00:02:26,646 And when it’s opened, there’s an unholy surprise. 45 00:02:26,730 --> 00:02:30,230 Daniel Dickrell: There would be 20 strategically placed spikes 46 00:02:30,359 --> 00:02:32,739 that were meant to impale the body, 47 00:02:32,861 --> 00:02:35,201 but in such a way that it wouldn’t kill the human inside, 48 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,450 only prolong their agony. 49 00:02:37,532 --> 00:02:39,412 It would go into places that were very painful 50 00:02:39,534 --> 00:02:41,794 but not particularly deadly. 51 00:02:41,870 --> 00:02:45,040 Jordan Wagner: These spikes, because they’re stabbed in, 52 00:02:45,165 --> 00:02:48,665 you’re actually causing some sort of blockage of the blood coming out. 53 00:02:48,752 --> 00:02:51,132 You’re going to bleed and get ooze around it, 54 00:02:51,213 --> 00:02:55,053 but it’s actually going to take a lot longer to, say, bleed out. 55 00:02:55,133 --> 00:02:56,553 Aaron Irvin: Stick them in a box, 56 00:02:56,677 --> 00:02:58,887 make them really, really uncomfortable 57 00:02:58,970 --> 00:03:01,010 so that they cannot sleep, 58 00:03:01,098 --> 00:03:03,178 they cannot move, they cannot breathe, 59 00:03:03,266 --> 00:03:06,596 until they give in and give you what you want. 60 00:03:06,728 --> 00:03:11,398 Narrator: So, who first deploys this vicious device? 61 00:03:11,525 --> 00:03:15,325 Curiously, the first mention of any medieval iron maiden 62 00:03:15,404 --> 00:03:17,784 doesn’t appear in the Dark Ages. 63 00:03:17,906 --> 00:03:20,116 It surfaces hundreds of years later 64 00:03:20,242 --> 00:03:23,202 in the late 18th century. 65 00:03:23,286 --> 00:03:26,616 Larissa Tracy: In 1793, German philosopher Siebenkees 66 00:03:26,748 --> 00:03:30,958 tells of the execution of a coin forger in 1515 67 00:03:31,086 --> 00:03:34,796 who was put inside this iron maiden form, 68 00:03:34,923 --> 00:03:38,933 and spikes driven into it, 69 00:03:39,052 --> 00:03:40,352 and it took him two days to die. 70 00:03:40,429 --> 00:03:42,469 The spikes only went so far, 71 00:03:42,597 --> 00:03:45,807 just enough to draw enough blood that he eventually bled out. 72 00:03:46,935 --> 00:03:48,975 The story gains traction 73 00:03:49,104 --> 00:03:53,114 because people want to believe that they are more evolved, 74 00:03:53,233 --> 00:03:56,363 that they’re more progressive than the people who came before them. 75 00:03:56,445 --> 00:03:59,995 Narrator: Ironically, the legend of the iron maiden 76 00:04:00,115 --> 00:04:03,835 actually begins about 2,000 years earlier 77 00:04:03,952 --> 00:04:09,462 during Rome’s vicious 3rd century B.C. war against Carthage 78 00:04:09,541 --> 00:04:13,041 with a Roman politician named Regulus. 79 00:04:13,128 --> 00:04:15,708 Aaron Irvin: Regulus was a Roman consul 80 00:04:15,797 --> 00:04:18,377 during the First Punic War. 81 00:04:18,467 --> 00:04:22,047 He attempted to capture they city of Carthage itself, 82 00:04:22,137 --> 00:04:26,387 and he ended up being himself captured by the Carthaginians. 83 00:04:26,475 --> 00:04:31,065 The Carthaginians had sent Regulus back to the city of Rome 84 00:04:31,146 --> 00:04:33,766 in order to negotiate a peace treaty, 85 00:04:33,857 --> 00:04:37,687 keeping his army as hostages. 86 00:04:37,819 --> 00:04:41,029 Now being a true Roman, he tells the Romans 87 00:04:41,156 --> 00:04:43,866 don’t do anything the Carthaginians want. 88 00:04:43,992 --> 00:04:45,542 Just don’t give in. 89 00:04:45,660 --> 00:04:48,000 Out of honor, he goes back to Carthage, 90 00:04:48,121 --> 00:04:53,211 and they are so incensed that he has not delivered their terms 91 00:04:53,335 --> 00:04:57,175 and that he’s counseled Rome not to follow them, not to give in in any way, 92 00:04:57,255 --> 00:05:00,505 that he is put into a wooden casket. 93 00:05:00,634 --> 00:05:02,894 Narrator: Theologian St. Augustine 94 00:05:03,011 --> 00:05:07,181 details the account in his book "The City of God." 95 00:05:07,265 --> 00:05:10,475 In this box, the Carthaginians installed some nails 96 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:12,060 and some spikes. 97 00:05:12,187 --> 00:05:14,897 Regulus would have been in complete darkness. 98 00:05:15,023 --> 00:05:16,863 Whatever direction he leans, 99 00:05:16,983 --> 00:05:20,903 something is jabbing him, something is poking him. 100 00:05:21,029 --> 00:05:24,119 Imagine being trapped in this box, 101 00:05:24,199 --> 00:05:26,659 and you’re stuck in there for days. 102 00:05:26,743 --> 00:05:31,253 Jordan Wagner: You’d be so surprised how resilient the human body is. 103 00:05:31,373 --> 00:05:33,883 The amount of damage that an individual can take 104 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:38,170 and still be awake, alive, and suffering is immense. 105 00:05:38,255 --> 00:05:39,925 You can have a ton of broken bones, 106 00:05:40,048 --> 00:05:42,008 you can have lacerations, cuts, 107 00:05:42,092 --> 00:05:43,722 all of these different things 108 00:05:43,802 --> 00:05:47,222 and still suffer and feel the pain. 109 00:05:47,347 --> 00:05:50,057 You would think at some point you’re going to stop feeling pain 110 00:05:50,141 --> 00:05:51,931 because you’re in shock and don’t feel it anymore. 111 00:05:52,060 --> 00:05:53,600 That is a misnomer. 112 00:05:53,728 --> 00:05:55,518 Narrator: The effects of constant pain 113 00:05:55,605 --> 00:05:58,605 and blood loss are maddening, 114 00:05:58,733 --> 00:06:01,533 and ultimately lead to the consul’s death. 115 00:06:01,611 --> 00:06:04,451 Jordan Wagner: Not only are you going to be in agony, 116 00:06:04,573 --> 00:06:07,783 you’re going to be tired, you’re having muscle cramps, muscle spasms, 117 00:06:07,909 --> 00:06:10,199 you’re going to try to reposition yourself. 118 00:06:10,287 --> 00:06:14,247 Then you’re getting pierced by either metal or maybe wood spikes, 119 00:06:14,374 --> 00:06:16,754 and so there’s an increased risk of infection. 120 00:06:16,877 --> 00:06:19,377 As time progresses, you’re actually potentially 121 00:06:19,462 --> 00:06:22,422 gonna to start hallucinating, or if you get to a level 122 00:06:22,507 --> 00:06:24,757 of decreased blood volume, 123 00:06:24,885 --> 00:06:26,975 than you now become confused, lethargic, 124 00:06:27,095 --> 00:06:28,425 and you’re basically in a coma, 125 00:06:28,555 --> 00:06:30,605 and then that will actually lead to death. 126 00:06:32,767 --> 00:06:34,767 Joyce Salisbury: However Marcus Regulus died, 127 00:06:34,895 --> 00:06:37,945 these stories, that were widely read, 128 00:06:38,064 --> 00:06:41,284 introduced the idea of a box with spikes 129 00:06:41,359 --> 00:06:43,439 that would torture and kill 130 00:06:43,528 --> 00:06:45,948 into the consciousness of Western Europe. 131 00:06:46,031 --> 00:06:48,161 Narrator: 50 years after Regulus, 132 00:06:48,283 --> 00:06:50,163 a notoriously cruel leader 133 00:06:50,285 --> 00:06:54,215 adds a sinister visual twist to the idea. 134 00:06:54,289 --> 00:06:57,289 Under the Roman occupation of Greece, 135 00:06:57,417 --> 00:06:59,457 the city of Sparta was run by a local tyrant 136 00:06:59,586 --> 00:07:02,546 by the name of Nabis. 137 00:07:02,631 --> 00:07:06,221 Nabis was a horrible man, even on a good day. 138 00:07:06,301 --> 00:07:11,431 And what he wanted to do was force the Spartans to pay him. 139 00:07:13,308 --> 00:07:16,438 Nabis had a wife by the name of Apega, 140 00:07:16,519 --> 00:07:18,099 who was known throughout Greece, 141 00:07:18,188 --> 00:07:20,728 praised throughout Greece for her beauty 142 00:07:20,815 --> 00:07:24,065 as well as her cruelty and nastiness. 143 00:07:25,820 --> 00:07:29,780 Apega enjoyed inflicting pain onto people for punishments. 144 00:07:29,866 --> 00:07:32,236 She enjoyed watching people being tortured. 145 00:07:32,327 --> 00:07:34,287 She enjoyed causing people distress. 146 00:07:34,371 --> 00:07:39,041 Narrator: Nabis creates a twisted tribute to his wife, 147 00:07:39,167 --> 00:07:40,997 a spiked instrument of torture 148 00:07:41,127 --> 00:07:44,457 known as the Iron Apega. 149 00:07:44,547 --> 00:07:47,007 Rebecca Simon: So it makes sense that Apega was used 150 00:07:47,133 --> 00:07:49,683 as a muse when designing this particular torture device 151 00:07:49,803 --> 00:07:53,513 because she was the one who was representing this pain and cruelty. 152 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:56,730 Aaron Irvin: The story goes is that Nabis 153 00:07:56,851 --> 00:07:59,021 would invite people over to the palace, 154 00:07:59,145 --> 00:08:00,895 he would get them good and drunk, 155 00:08:01,022 --> 00:08:04,362 and then ask them if they wanted to meet with the queen, 156 00:08:04,442 --> 00:08:06,742 if they wanted to meet with Apega. 157 00:08:06,861 --> 00:08:09,741 Larissa Tracy: And he would lure people in 158 00:08:09,864 --> 00:08:12,284 and the arms of the Apega would be open. 159 00:08:12,367 --> 00:08:17,707 And as they drew closer, he would put his hand on the back of the machine, 160 00:08:17,831 --> 00:08:20,831 and the arms would close around the person, 161 00:08:20,917 --> 00:08:23,417 and they’d be crushed in her embrace. 162 00:08:23,545 --> 00:08:25,715 Narrator: Hidden under robes, 163 00:08:25,839 --> 00:08:29,509 the Iron Apega’s arms, hands, and chest 164 00:08:29,592 --> 00:08:33,222 are all covered with sharp spikes. 165 00:08:33,304 --> 00:08:34,934 Aaron Irvin: It was at that point 166 00:08:35,056 --> 00:08:37,516 that Nabis would begin to demand 167 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:40,520 whatever it is he wanted from the individual. 168 00:08:40,603 --> 00:08:42,943 And as the individual resisted, 169 00:08:43,064 --> 00:08:46,824 the arms would get tighter and tighter and tighter, 170 00:08:46,901 --> 00:08:52,111 squeezing the victim as well as forcing them forward into the spikes. 171 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:57,290 Narrator: Spikes, a deadly cabinet, an alluring female form. 172 00:08:57,412 --> 00:09:02,292 Could these elements inspire the eventual tale of the iron maiden? 173 00:09:02,417 --> 00:09:10,257 Whether fact or dark fiction, the legend endures. 174 00:09:10,341 --> 00:09:13,261 Narrator: Europe, the late 1400s. 175 00:09:13,344 --> 00:09:17,274 As religious intolerance and dynastic wars escalate, 176 00:09:17,390 --> 00:09:19,930 a powerful wing of the Catholic Church 177 00:09:20,060 --> 00:09:23,730 is tasked with rooting out heretics and punishing enemies. 178 00:09:23,813 --> 00:09:26,073 In Spain, this fervor becomes known 179 00:09:26,149 --> 00:09:29,069 by a terrifying, singular name-- 180 00:09:29,152 --> 00:09:30,742 the Inquisition. 181 00:09:30,820 --> 00:09:33,280 In the 15th century, we see the emergence 182 00:09:33,364 --> 00:09:35,784 of what becomes known as the Inquisition. 183 00:09:35,867 --> 00:09:38,117 This is one of the darkest periods of history 184 00:09:38,203 --> 00:09:40,833 because it was a period of time of rounding up anyone 185 00:09:40,955 --> 00:09:43,325 who did not practice the Christian or Catholic religion. 186 00:09:43,458 --> 00:09:48,128 We see the church losing its grip on people a little bit. 187 00:09:48,213 --> 00:09:51,473 The advent of the printing press has started spreading ideas 188 00:09:51,591 --> 00:09:55,391 about questioning the church, and so this is a way to try to establish control. 189 00:09:55,470 --> 00:09:59,270 Larissa Tracy: The Spanish Inquisition is founded 190 00:09:59,349 --> 00:10:01,729 by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. 191 00:10:01,810 --> 00:10:05,690 And the Spanish Inquisition was designed to reconquer Spain 192 00:10:05,814 --> 00:10:09,484 and bring it under totalitarian and authoritarian rule. 193 00:10:09,567 --> 00:10:12,567 And so, the public displays of torture 194 00:10:12,654 --> 00:10:15,784 are used as a means of forcing the Jews to convert, 195 00:10:15,865 --> 00:10:17,325 and the Jews who convert to Christianity 196 00:10:17,450 --> 00:10:19,160 are referred to as Converso. 197 00:10:19,285 --> 00:10:20,825 The Muslims who are forced to convert 198 00:10:20,912 --> 00:10:22,832 are referred to as Morisco. 199 00:10:22,956 --> 00:10:25,996 And very often, they would be tortured to prove that 200 00:10:26,126 --> 00:10:27,876 that conversion was real. 201 00:10:28,002 --> 00:10:31,382 Narrator: In 1483, 202 00:10:31,506 --> 00:10:33,336 an influential Dominican friar 203 00:10:33,466 --> 00:10:35,836 named Tomas de Torquemada 204 00:10:35,927 --> 00:10:39,847 is appointed to the role of Grand Inquisitor. 205 00:10:39,931 --> 00:10:45,141 Even speaking the name conjures up the impression 206 00:10:45,228 --> 00:10:48,188 of a very cruel and frightening figure, 207 00:10:48,273 --> 00:10:50,403 and that’s what Torquemada was. 208 00:10:50,525 --> 00:10:53,245 Narrator: To extract his confessions, 209 00:10:53,361 --> 00:10:55,611 Torquemada and the Spanish Inquisitors 210 00:10:55,697 --> 00:10:58,317 employ an arsenal of torture tools, 211 00:10:58,408 --> 00:11:03,038 including one that takes a deceptively comforting form-- 212 00:11:03,121 --> 00:11:07,541 a large wooden statue of the Virgin Mary. 213 00:11:07,625 --> 00:11:10,535 It’s with Torquemada that we really begin to see the idea 214 00:11:10,628 --> 00:11:12,798 of the image of the Virgin Mary 215 00:11:12,881 --> 00:11:15,881 with individuals brought before it, asked to pray, 216 00:11:15,967 --> 00:11:21,057 and then it turns into this horrific torture device. 217 00:11:21,139 --> 00:11:24,729 They’re kind of put into an embrace, similar to the Apega machine. 218 00:11:24,809 --> 00:11:29,399 But what happens is that swords come out of her, 219 00:11:29,522 --> 00:11:34,152 and thus injuring the victim through pain, torture, humiliation, 220 00:11:34,235 --> 00:11:39,405 through a symbol of the ultimate forgiveness, of ultimate mercy. 221 00:11:39,532 --> 00:11:43,242 Narrator: The sinister statue’s angelic face, 222 00:11:43,328 --> 00:11:47,208 along with the spiked coffin from the story of Regulus 223 00:11:47,290 --> 00:11:50,080 and the female form of the Iron Apega, 224 00:11:50,210 --> 00:11:53,090 are all believed to be inspirations 225 00:11:53,171 --> 00:11:55,921 for the legendary iron maiden’s design. 226 00:11:56,007 --> 00:11:59,837 But as sadistic as this device is, 227 00:11:59,928 --> 00:12:03,138 there’s another that’s even more feared, 228 00:12:03,264 --> 00:12:07,604 one intended to inflict both terror and pain. 229 00:12:07,685 --> 00:12:13,105 Known as the rack, the mere sight of it often elicits a confession. 230 00:12:13,233 --> 00:12:15,693 Aaron Irvin: We have bones popping, 231 00:12:15,777 --> 00:12:19,107 joints ripping, tendons coming undone, 232 00:12:19,239 --> 00:12:22,119 individuals who even after they’re released from torture, 233 00:12:22,242 --> 00:12:24,292 they never walk the same way again, 234 00:12:24,369 --> 00:12:27,119 they’re never able to stand upright again for the rest of their lives. 235 00:12:27,247 --> 00:12:32,497 This is a means of torture that is permanently damaging 236 00:12:32,627 --> 00:12:34,957 to the people that it is inflicted on. 237 00:12:35,046 --> 00:12:39,716 Narrator: The rack is an elevated wooden frame with spokes. 238 00:12:39,801 --> 00:12:42,801 A victim’s ankles and wrists are attached with ropes. 239 00:12:42,929 --> 00:12:45,929 Poles are inserted into sockets, 240 00:12:46,015 --> 00:12:48,675 and when pulled, turn the axles, 241 00:12:48,810 --> 00:12:52,810 slowly tearing the victim apart. 242 00:12:52,897 --> 00:12:56,607 Larissa Tracy: When somebody’s attached to a rack, 243 00:12:56,693 --> 00:12:59,703 what you hear is the popping sound of their joints 244 00:12:59,821 --> 00:13:03,491 and the cartilage as they are slowly dislocated. 245 00:13:03,616 --> 00:13:05,156 Jordan Wagner: You’re gonna start having some bleeding 246 00:13:05,243 --> 00:13:06,873 into the muscle, and the muscles might rip. 247 00:13:06,995 --> 00:13:09,005 And your muscles are attached by tendons, 248 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:12,330 so tendons can then start ripping. 249 00:13:12,458 --> 00:13:15,088 Then as you continue, your ligaments are gonna start going, 250 00:13:15,169 --> 00:13:17,709 and when ligaments like that pop, 251 00:13:17,839 --> 00:13:21,799 what happens is then you can cause a dislocation of the joint. 252 00:13:21,884 --> 00:13:24,054 If you pull hard enough, there is enough force probably 253 00:13:24,178 --> 00:13:27,518 that you can actually rip limbs off. 254 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,730 Aaron Irvin: You’re literally being ripped apart 255 00:13:30,852 --> 00:13:34,522 while someone is in your face asking you questions, 256 00:13:34,647 --> 00:13:36,687 demanding that you confess, 257 00:13:36,774 --> 00:13:39,194 telling you at any moment this can stop, 258 00:13:39,277 --> 00:13:41,197 just do what we want you to do. 259 00:13:41,321 --> 00:13:44,701 It’s not about guilt, it’s not about innocence. 260 00:13:44,824 --> 00:13:47,544 It’s about, "Stop ripping my body apart. 261 00:13:47,618 --> 00:13:49,368 I will do whatever you want me to do." 262 00:13:49,454 --> 00:13:51,874 Narrator: The machine is so powerful, 263 00:13:51,998 --> 00:13:54,328 the force it uses to break a spine 264 00:13:54,417 --> 00:13:57,547 is equal to a 500-pound wrecking ball 265 00:13:57,670 --> 00:14:02,880 crashing through a wall at 30 miles per hour. 266 00:14:05,970 --> 00:14:09,560 Cord Whitaker: Very often, they would stop the racking 267 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:12,600 before they got to the point of death 268 00:14:12,727 --> 00:14:14,847 in order to then apply other tortures. 269 00:14:14,937 --> 00:14:18,647 Jordan Wagner: They might cut them. They might try to stab them. 270 00:14:18,733 --> 00:14:22,573 Might try to light a small fire underneath their bodies. 271 00:14:22,653 --> 00:14:26,373 All these different ways to cause harm and injury. 272 00:14:26,449 --> 00:14:29,579 Narrator: But this terrible torture method is allegedly employed 273 00:14:29,702 --> 00:14:32,372 much earlier than the Middle Ages. 274 00:14:32,455 --> 00:14:35,085 It’s also used during the rule 275 00:14:35,166 --> 00:14:39,086 of Ancient Rome’s infamous emperor-- Nero. 276 00:14:39,170 --> 00:14:42,090 Larissa Tracy: Nero was very sadistic. 277 00:14:42,215 --> 00:14:45,225 His public spectacles of punishment and torture 278 00:14:45,301 --> 00:14:47,341 were meant to reinforce his own authority. 279 00:14:47,428 --> 00:14:49,848 Aaron Irvin: In 65 A.D., 280 00:14:49,931 --> 00:14:54,231 a conspiracy was discovered among Nero’s closest, 281 00:14:54,310 --> 00:14:56,650 most trusted advisors. 282 00:14:56,771 --> 00:14:59,231 And in the aftermath of this discovery, 283 00:14:59,315 --> 00:15:04,065 Nero decided to just start torturing everybody he could find. 284 00:15:04,153 --> 00:15:08,413 We in fact have an 18th century etching of this. 285 00:15:08,491 --> 00:15:12,451 Narrator: The etching is titled "The Man on the Rack." 286 00:15:12,537 --> 00:15:16,287 This barbaric device goes on to become an essential 287 00:15:16,374 --> 00:15:18,834 torture tool for centuries. 288 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,090 But it’s most famously used 289 00:15:21,170 --> 00:15:25,300 inside the Tower of London’s notorious dungeons. 290 00:15:25,383 --> 00:15:29,143 The history of the rack at the Tower of London is a really interesting one. 291 00:15:29,220 --> 00:15:33,270 People often turn to John Holland, Duke of Exeter, 292 00:15:33,349 --> 00:15:36,809 for introducing the rack in the early 15th century. 293 00:15:36,894 --> 00:15:38,654 And in fact, it came to be called 294 00:15:38,729 --> 00:15:41,149 the Duke of Exeter’s daughter. 295 00:15:41,232 --> 00:15:44,362 Michael Young: John Holland came from a family 296 00:15:44,485 --> 00:15:47,985 that had been disgraced in earlier generations. 297 00:15:48,114 --> 00:15:53,204 And he seems to have been determined to regain that reputation. 298 00:15:53,327 --> 00:15:58,457 And he did it at the Tower of London, where he was constable. 299 00:15:58,541 --> 00:16:01,341 Cord Whitaker: John Holland turned his concerns 300 00:16:01,419 --> 00:16:04,339 toward making sure that when people looked up 301 00:16:04,422 --> 00:16:08,052 and saw the white tower of the Tower of London 302 00:16:08,176 --> 00:16:11,506 that they would feel the weight of the state 303 00:16:11,596 --> 00:16:16,726 and its ability, if they crossed it in any way, to make them pay. 304 00:16:16,851 --> 00:16:20,691 Narrator: The dreaded rack tortures suspected traitors 305 00:16:20,813 --> 00:16:23,023 for the next 200 years, 306 00:16:23,107 --> 00:16:25,227 throughout the reigns of monarchs, 307 00:16:25,359 --> 00:16:28,489 including Henry VIII, Edward VI, 308 00:16:28,571 --> 00:16:32,321 Mary I, and Elizabeth I. 309 00:16:32,408 --> 00:16:40,368 But its most prolific use happens under James I. 310 00:16:40,458 --> 00:16:42,708 Narrator: During the 16th and 17th centuries, 311 00:16:42,835 --> 00:16:44,375 England hits new heights 312 00:16:44,462 --> 00:16:46,882 of political and religious unrest. 313 00:16:46,964 --> 00:16:49,344 Rebecca Simon: What we need to understand 314 00:16:49,425 --> 00:16:50,925 about England during this time 315 00:16:51,052 --> 00:16:53,052 is that the country has been going back and forth 316 00:16:53,137 --> 00:16:55,387 between Catholicism and Protestantism 317 00:16:55,473 --> 00:16:57,893 in kind of a power struggle. 318 00:16:57,975 --> 00:17:01,395 Cord Whitaker: The importance of the state is what matters above all, 319 00:17:01,521 --> 00:17:04,731 so anyone who is seen 320 00:17:04,857 --> 00:17:07,737 as an enemy of the state 321 00:17:07,860 --> 00:17:12,570 is certainly cannon fodder for torture. 322 00:17:14,408 --> 00:17:16,988 Narrator: One of the most notorious victims, 323 00:17:17,078 --> 00:17:20,078 the Catholic rebel Guy Fawkes. 324 00:17:20,164 --> 00:17:24,424 Michael Young: Guy Fawkes came from Northern England, 325 00:17:24,502 --> 00:17:26,802 and he was a zealous, 326 00:17:26,921 --> 00:17:30,421 determined Catholic from an early age. 327 00:17:30,508 --> 00:17:32,588 Rebecca Simon: He was actually raised as a protestant. 328 00:17:32,677 --> 00:17:34,427 But then after his father passed away, 329 00:17:34,512 --> 00:17:36,182 his mother remarried to a Catholic, 330 00:17:36,264 --> 00:17:39,224 and so Guy Fawkes actually transitioned 331 00:17:39,308 --> 00:17:41,728 from Protestantism into Catholicism. 332 00:17:41,811 --> 00:17:44,611 And he became a very staunch Catholic, 333 00:17:44,689 --> 00:17:46,269 and this is what motivated him 334 00:17:46,399 --> 00:17:49,859 to try to bring Catholicism back into England. 335 00:17:49,944 --> 00:17:53,994 Narrator: When Queen Elizabeth I dies in 1603, 336 00:17:54,115 --> 00:17:56,455 the son of Scotland’s Queen Mary, 337 00:17:56,534 --> 00:18:00,254 James I, inherits the English crown. 338 00:18:00,329 --> 00:18:02,789 Larissa Tracy: When James I comes to the throne, 339 00:18:02,915 --> 00:18:05,785 he’s protestant even though his mother 340 00:18:05,876 --> 00:18:08,046 Mary Queen of Scots had been Catholic. 341 00:18:08,129 --> 00:18:10,299 So, there was a lot of religious confusion, 342 00:18:10,381 --> 00:18:13,431 and that affects Guy Fawkes’ ideology 343 00:18:13,509 --> 00:18:17,139 when he decides that James is a tyrant. 344 00:18:17,263 --> 00:18:19,313 Narrator: To help restore the Catholics to power, 345 00:18:19,390 --> 00:18:21,480 Guy Fawkes orchestrates an attempted attack 346 00:18:21,601 --> 00:18:24,651 on Parliament in 1605, 347 00:18:24,729 --> 00:18:27,269 known as the Gunpowder Plot. 348 00:18:27,356 --> 00:18:31,026 Michael Young: The plan was to blow up the House of Lords 349 00:18:31,152 --> 00:18:33,782 on the opening day of parliament 350 00:18:33,863 --> 00:18:38,333 when all the protestant elite would be present, 351 00:18:38,451 --> 00:18:43,661 and, of course, the royal family and the king himself. 352 00:18:43,748 --> 00:18:45,748 The basement of the House of Lords 353 00:18:45,833 --> 00:18:48,003 came up for lease at this time, 354 00:18:48,127 --> 00:18:51,297 and Fawkes and his co-conspirators 355 00:18:51,380 --> 00:18:53,670 were able to lease that storage area 356 00:18:53,758 --> 00:18:58,468 and smuggle 36 barrels of gunpowder 357 00:18:58,554 --> 00:19:00,354 under the House of Lords. 358 00:19:00,473 --> 00:19:03,023 Guy Fawkes was positioned there, 359 00:19:03,142 --> 00:19:06,022 ready to light the match, 360 00:19:06,103 --> 00:19:08,863 and then presumably run like hell. 361 00:19:08,939 --> 00:19:13,149 Narrator: But just days before the planned attack, 362 00:19:13,235 --> 00:19:17,315 authorities receive an anonymous letter revealing the plot. 363 00:19:17,406 --> 00:19:21,696 Michael Young: The night before the opening of parliament, 364 00:19:21,786 --> 00:19:25,206 the basement of the House of Lords was searched, 365 00:19:25,289 --> 00:19:30,209 and Guy Fawkes was found and arrested. 366 00:19:30,294 --> 00:19:33,884 Dan Dickrell: He was found with two tons of gunpowder. 367 00:19:33,964 --> 00:19:36,554 Unleashing that amount of explosive energy 368 00:19:36,676 --> 00:19:38,886 underneath the building would have definitely 369 00:19:39,011 --> 00:19:40,471 blown out most of the structure. 370 00:19:40,554 --> 00:19:41,974 And then what would have remained 371 00:19:42,056 --> 00:19:43,346 likely would have collapsed, 372 00:19:43,432 --> 00:19:45,682 so even if you had survived the explosion, 373 00:19:45,768 --> 00:19:47,018 you would have been trapped under the rubble 374 00:19:47,103 --> 00:19:49,063 and probably perished afterwards. 375 00:19:55,277 --> 00:19:56,737 Narrator: Fawkes is interrogated, 376 00:19:56,862 --> 00:19:58,822 and when he refuses to talk, 377 00:19:58,906 --> 00:20:02,196 he’s dragged off to the dreaded torture dungeon 378 00:20:02,284 --> 00:20:04,084 at the Tower of London. 379 00:20:04,161 --> 00:20:08,211 Michael Young: King James gave specific orders that, 380 00:20:08,290 --> 00:20:11,500 although he was authorizing the torture of Fawkes, 381 00:20:11,585 --> 00:20:16,165 he wanted them to start with the mildest tortures, 382 00:20:16,257 --> 00:20:20,137 and only proceed if necessary to the most extreme, 383 00:20:20,261 --> 00:20:22,261 which was the rack. 384 00:20:24,265 --> 00:20:26,105 Rebecca Simon: Guy Fawkes is a tough prisoner 385 00:20:26,225 --> 00:20:28,725 because he’s refusing to give up any of the names 386 00:20:28,811 --> 00:20:31,481 of the people involved. 387 00:20:31,605 --> 00:20:35,775 But eventually, as his arms are becoming dislocated, that’s enough. 388 00:20:35,860 --> 00:20:38,110 He can’t withstand it anymore. Nobody could. 389 00:20:39,530 --> 00:20:40,780 Narrator: Fawkes confesses, 390 00:20:40,865 --> 00:20:43,455 but he’s left a broken man. 391 00:20:43,576 --> 00:20:45,156 Jordan Wagner: The consequences of all of the trauma 392 00:20:45,286 --> 00:20:47,996 and injuries that occurred during this rack process 393 00:20:48,122 --> 00:20:50,792 and event can totally be devastating to one’s life. 394 00:20:50,916 --> 00:20:53,456 Are you able to get up, walk around? 395 00:20:53,544 --> 00:20:55,634 Not really. Your fine motor skills 396 00:20:55,713 --> 00:20:57,973 and your function of your arm is going to be off. 397 00:20:58,048 --> 00:21:00,588 So you can significantly have a lifestyle change 398 00:21:00,676 --> 00:21:02,506 after these events have occurred to you. 399 00:21:02,636 --> 00:21:05,216 Rebecca Simon: The best way to understand the torture 400 00:21:05,306 --> 00:21:07,596 and psychological trauma that Guy Fawkes went under 401 00:21:07,683 --> 00:21:09,483 is by comparing his signatures 402 00:21:09,602 --> 00:21:12,812 from before and after his experience on the rack. 403 00:21:12,938 --> 00:21:15,478 Guy Fawkes’ signature was very clear, 404 00:21:15,608 --> 00:21:17,068 very readable in general. 405 00:21:17,151 --> 00:21:19,491 But after he was tortured on the rack, 406 00:21:19,612 --> 00:21:20,822 his signature on the confession 407 00:21:20,905 --> 00:21:24,325 has been reduced to a scrawl. 408 00:21:24,408 --> 00:21:26,988 After Guy Fawkes is put to the rack, 409 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:29,659 he’s supposed to be hung, drawn, and quartered. 410 00:21:29,789 --> 00:21:33,499 He basically gets the full suite 411 00:21:33,584 --> 00:21:36,174 of punishments for treason. 412 00:21:36,295 --> 00:21:39,665 However, before this could happen, 413 00:21:39,757 --> 00:21:44,677 he either fell or jumped from the gallows 414 00:21:44,762 --> 00:21:47,852 and died by breaking his neck. 415 00:21:47,932 --> 00:21:49,682 Personally, I believe he jumped. 416 00:21:49,767 --> 00:21:50,807 I think that would have been 417 00:21:50,893 --> 00:21:52,693 the wise decision in that moment. 418 00:21:52,770 --> 00:21:56,440 In either case, the fall or the jump 419 00:21:56,524 --> 00:22:00,694 prevented the authorities the pleasure of hanging him, 420 00:22:00,820 --> 00:22:05,030 although they still proceeded to quarter him-- 421 00:22:05,115 --> 00:22:08,865 cutting the four quarters of his body to be dispersed 422 00:22:08,953 --> 00:22:11,463 and put on display throughout the kingdom 423 00:22:11,539 --> 00:22:16,039 as a warning to any other would-be traitors. 424 00:22:16,126 --> 00:22:19,296 Narrator: The rack eventually falls out of favor in Europe 425 00:22:19,380 --> 00:22:23,050 in the 17th century, crossing over with another 426 00:22:23,175 --> 00:22:26,215 excruciatingly painful torture device 427 00:22:26,303 --> 00:22:32,983 that mutilates without mercy. 428 00:22:33,060 --> 00:22:35,310 Narrator: Medieval Europeans devise some of the world’s 429 00:22:35,396 --> 00:22:38,726 most punishing forms of torture. 430 00:22:38,816 --> 00:22:42,646 Many of these devices are complex in their cruelty, 431 00:22:42,736 --> 00:22:46,366 but one is wickedly simple. 432 00:22:46,448 --> 00:22:49,828 Cord Whitaker: The thumbscrews are pretty aptly named. 433 00:22:49,910 --> 00:22:53,790 The goal is to mangle the hand 434 00:22:53,914 --> 00:22:57,044 by putting it in a vice 435 00:22:57,126 --> 00:22:59,796 and using what are essentially screws 436 00:22:59,920 --> 00:23:03,470 to apply pressure to the thumb joints, 437 00:23:03,591 --> 00:23:07,051 both smashing them and pulling them away 438 00:23:07,136 --> 00:23:09,006 from the rest of the hand at the same time. 439 00:23:09,096 --> 00:23:10,846 Jordan Wagner: You’re causing a significant 440 00:23:10,931 --> 00:23:13,231 amount of soft tissue pain. 441 00:23:13,309 --> 00:23:15,809 The nail actually might crack under that pressure. 442 00:23:15,936 --> 00:23:17,846 But if you continue to have the pressure, 443 00:23:17,938 --> 00:23:21,018 you actually have the ability to break the bones. 444 00:23:21,108 --> 00:23:25,358 Narrator: Traditionally, thumbscrews contain two metal bars. 445 00:23:25,446 --> 00:23:28,026 A screw on the center post, when turned, 446 00:23:28,115 --> 00:23:30,905 brings the bars together with great force, 447 00:23:30,993 --> 00:23:34,453 crushing whatever is placed between them. 448 00:23:34,538 --> 00:23:37,288 Of course, people refer to thumbscrews 449 00:23:37,416 --> 00:23:40,876 as "I’m going to put you to thumbscrews" if I want information from you. 450 00:23:40,961 --> 00:23:44,711 And at first, it doesn’t sound like it would be terribly, terribly painful. 451 00:23:44,798 --> 00:23:48,298 But if you think about smashing your thumb with a hammer, 452 00:23:48,385 --> 00:23:51,135 now imagine that sustained pressure 453 00:23:51,221 --> 00:23:55,561 being put onto your thumb, crunching into the bone. 454 00:23:55,643 --> 00:23:57,733 It is excruciatingly painful. 455 00:23:57,811 --> 00:23:59,101 So the thumbscrew is actually 456 00:23:59,188 --> 00:24:01,308 a rather horrific torture device, 457 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:03,480 even though it’s a localized one that only affects 458 00:24:03,567 --> 00:24:06,317 one small part of your body. 459 00:24:06,403 --> 00:24:10,573 The hands themselves have so many nerve endings and receptors-- 460 00:24:10,658 --> 00:24:13,198 over 3,000 different receptors in the hands, 461 00:24:13,327 --> 00:24:16,117 relating to touch, heat, 462 00:24:16,205 --> 00:24:18,295 two-point discrimination, pain. 463 00:24:18,374 --> 00:24:21,924 It’s equivalent to the amount of nerve information 464 00:24:22,002 --> 00:24:23,922 that you’re getting from, like, your whole torso, 465 00:24:24,004 --> 00:24:26,724 that are just in your hands. 466 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:29,340 Cord Whitaker: So if your hands are mangled from the thumbscrews, 467 00:24:29,468 --> 00:24:31,598 people know that you’ve been tortured. 468 00:24:31,679 --> 00:24:34,599 And people know that that perhaps means you deserved it. 469 00:24:34,682 --> 00:24:38,102 Also, the mangling of the hands 470 00:24:38,185 --> 00:24:41,145 makes it very difficult for you to produce 471 00:24:41,230 --> 00:24:43,690 in a largely agricultural society. 472 00:24:43,774 --> 00:24:46,784 Most people worked with their hands. 473 00:24:46,860 --> 00:24:49,530 So to make the hands unusable 474 00:24:49,655 --> 00:24:54,455 is a theme that we see across the panoply of forms of torture 475 00:24:54,535 --> 00:24:56,415 in the Middle Ages. 476 00:24:56,537 --> 00:25:00,367 Thumbscrews actually was used to elicit a lot of information 477 00:25:00,457 --> 00:25:02,627 because it hurt so much. 478 00:25:02,710 --> 00:25:07,460 Narrator: But this devious device isn’t just used to punish. 479 00:25:07,548 --> 00:25:11,428 Larissa Tracy: One of the most unjust applications of the thumbscrews 480 00:25:11,552 --> 00:25:13,392 is that of Artemisia Gentileschi. 481 00:25:13,512 --> 00:25:16,812 She’s the daughter of Orazio Gentileschi, 482 00:25:16,890 --> 00:25:21,390 a Renaissance painter who had a very large studio 483 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:23,190 and lots of students. 484 00:25:23,272 --> 00:25:25,362 Now, Artemisia was an artist herself, 485 00:25:25,441 --> 00:25:27,731 and she studied under her father’s tutelage, 486 00:25:27,818 --> 00:25:31,198 but she very famously liked to walk around the studio naked. 487 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:34,870 Her father encouraged this free behavior, 488 00:25:34,950 --> 00:25:37,740 but one of his students took that as an invitation, 489 00:25:37,870 --> 00:25:42,420 and when Artemisia Gentileschi was 17, she was raped. 490 00:25:44,293 --> 00:25:47,463 When she made a public accusation, 491 00:25:47,588 --> 00:25:50,968 the authorities subjected her to the thumbscrews 492 00:25:51,091 --> 00:25:53,931 to establish the veracity of her story. 493 00:25:55,304 --> 00:25:57,854 Now, 1612 in Italy, 494 00:25:57,931 --> 00:26:01,021 you have local authorities who have no problem 495 00:26:01,101 --> 00:26:05,271 using physical pain to extract confessions from criminals. 496 00:26:05,397 --> 00:26:08,437 But in this instance, in order to prove her story, 497 00:26:08,525 --> 00:26:11,105 as a woman, her word was not enough. 498 00:26:11,236 --> 00:26:13,986 And so she’s subjected to the thumbscrews 499 00:26:14,114 --> 00:26:17,994 in order to prove that she had in fact been sexually assaulted. 500 00:26:18,118 --> 00:26:20,578 The man who assaulted her was found guilty, 501 00:26:20,662 --> 00:26:22,582 but he only serves a year in prison. 502 00:26:22,664 --> 00:26:25,714 Narrator: The impact on Artemisia however, 503 00:26:25,793 --> 00:26:27,963 is far more severe. 504 00:26:28,087 --> 00:26:33,047 The result of being tortured greatly alters her ability to paint. 505 00:26:33,133 --> 00:26:36,263 Larissa Tracy: As an artist, when you hold your paintbrush, 506 00:26:36,345 --> 00:26:39,475 you have to be able to grip that paintbrush, 507 00:26:39,598 --> 00:26:40,888 and you need your thumbs. 508 00:26:40,974 --> 00:26:44,194 So having been subjected to thumbscrews, 509 00:26:44,311 --> 00:26:47,111 she would have been in excruciating pain. 510 00:26:47,189 --> 00:26:49,729 Narrator: Excruciating and portable thumbscrews 511 00:26:49,817 --> 00:26:52,397 are popular far and wide, 512 00:26:52,486 --> 00:26:55,736 from witch trials to slave ship uprisings. 513 00:26:55,823 --> 00:26:58,073 But in the long history of torture devices, 514 00:26:58,158 --> 00:27:00,988 perhaps none is more diabolical 515 00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:04,040 than one designed not to crush, tear, 516 00:27:04,164 --> 00:27:08,134 or pierce, but to roast. 517 00:27:11,255 --> 00:27:13,305 Rebecca Simon: One of the most sadistic torture devices 518 00:27:13,382 --> 00:27:14,762 to come out of the ancient world 519 00:27:14,842 --> 00:27:17,802 was from the 6th century B.C.E. in Sicily 520 00:27:17,886 --> 00:27:20,256 known as the brazen bull. 521 00:27:20,347 --> 00:27:23,017 Also known as the Bull of Phalaris, 522 00:27:23,100 --> 00:27:25,310 named after the Tyrant of Sicily. 523 00:27:25,394 --> 00:27:26,944 Phalaris the Tyrant 524 00:27:27,020 --> 00:27:30,110 was known as being excessively evil. 525 00:27:30,190 --> 00:27:35,030 There are even stories that he engaged in cannibalism. 526 00:27:37,239 --> 00:27:40,329 The bull itself was actually invented by someone named Perilaus, 527 00:27:40,409 --> 00:27:43,579 and Perilaus wanted to invent a device 528 00:27:43,704 --> 00:27:45,964 that would be meant to torture and also kill people, 529 00:27:46,039 --> 00:27:47,669 but in a very symbolic way, 530 00:27:47,749 --> 00:27:52,169 placing them into a large hollow bronze bull, 531 00:27:52,254 --> 00:27:54,264 where a fire would be lit under it. 532 00:27:54,381 --> 00:27:57,801 The brazen bull is essentially just a pressure cooker, right? 533 00:27:57,885 --> 00:28:01,555 So, inside there is an enclosed cavity of air 534 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:03,640 that as that air heats, 535 00:28:03,724 --> 00:28:06,314 the people inside would be cooked alive. 536 00:28:08,228 --> 00:28:09,728 Narrator: It’s estimated that a person 537 00:28:09,813 --> 00:28:11,903 could survive inside the bull 538 00:28:11,982 --> 00:28:15,442 for up to 20 excruciating minutes. 539 00:28:15,569 --> 00:28:17,319 Jordan Wagner: You’re touching hot metal, 540 00:28:17,404 --> 00:28:18,614 so you’re actually getting burns, 541 00:28:18,739 --> 00:28:20,069 anywhere between first, second, 542 00:28:20,157 --> 00:28:21,737 third, and even fourth-degree burns, 543 00:28:21,867 --> 00:28:24,907 which ends up burning into the muscle and the bone. 544 00:28:25,037 --> 00:28:29,917 But on top of all that, you’re being heated from the inside. 545 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:31,380 A normal body temperature of a human being 546 00:28:31,460 --> 00:28:33,840 should be about 37 degrees Celsius 547 00:28:33,921 --> 00:28:36,051 or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. 548 00:28:36,131 --> 00:28:38,931 When you get into severe hyperthermia, 549 00:28:39,009 --> 00:28:40,799 you’re going to die once your temperature 550 00:28:40,928 --> 00:28:43,098 gets over 42 degrees. 551 00:28:43,180 --> 00:28:44,850 The brazen bull, think about it this way. 552 00:28:44,932 --> 00:28:46,932 It’s like being cooked in an oven. 553 00:28:47,059 --> 00:28:49,849 A modern example is our saunas that we have. 554 00:28:49,937 --> 00:28:52,437 And actually every year, they do sauna competitions 555 00:28:52,522 --> 00:28:54,772 where they put the sauna temperature 556 00:28:54,900 --> 00:28:57,400 up to over 200 degrees Fahrenheit. 557 00:28:57,486 --> 00:28:59,816 And so they find out how long somebody can last 558 00:28:59,947 --> 00:29:01,607 inside there before they need to get out. 559 00:29:01,698 --> 00:29:04,028 And typically, on average it’s about six minutes. 560 00:29:04,117 --> 00:29:06,037 Versus in the brazen bull, it’s been thought 561 00:29:06,119 --> 00:29:08,369 that they leave people in there for 20 minutes. 562 00:29:08,455 --> 00:29:12,245 So you can just think about what happens to the body. 563 00:29:12,334 --> 00:29:15,214 Very sadistic. 564 00:29:15,295 --> 00:29:18,875 Narrator: The bull is also almost entirely soundproof, 565 00:29:18,966 --> 00:29:22,426 except for two holes drilled into the nose. 566 00:29:22,511 --> 00:29:26,391 This is where the device becomes even more diabolical. 567 00:29:26,473 --> 00:29:29,233 Rebecca Simon: The brazen bull was specifically designed 568 00:29:29,309 --> 00:29:30,889 so that the screams of the person 569 00:29:30,978 --> 00:29:33,398 would actually almost sound musical to people’s ears. 570 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:35,730 So rather than hearing the tortured, horrific, 571 00:29:35,816 --> 00:29:38,816 pained screams of a victim, 572 00:29:38,944 --> 00:29:41,744 they’re listening to kind of the musical sounds 573 00:29:41,822 --> 00:29:43,742 coming from a large animal. 574 00:29:45,617 --> 00:29:48,577 Narrator: Making this musical conversion possible 575 00:29:48,662 --> 00:29:50,462 is a system of pipes and reeds 576 00:29:50,539 --> 00:29:53,209 that transforms the anguished screams 577 00:29:53,333 --> 00:29:57,923 into sounds made by brass or wind instruments. 578 00:29:58,005 --> 00:30:00,925 And in a sick twist of fate, 579 00:30:01,008 --> 00:30:04,798 its first victim is the man who invented it. 580 00:30:04,886 --> 00:30:08,096 Aaron Irvin: Something inside the Tyrant Phalaris snapped. 581 00:30:08,181 --> 00:30:11,431 Perhaps it was being confronted by another sociopath. 582 00:30:11,518 --> 00:30:14,808 Perhaps he was angry that Perilaus was more creative than he had thought. 583 00:30:14,896 --> 00:30:20,486 But he invited Perilaus to climb inside the bull himself 584 00:30:20,569 --> 00:30:23,109 and show the Tyrant Phalaris 585 00:30:23,196 --> 00:30:26,276 how exactly did these pipes work? 586 00:30:26,366 --> 00:30:28,276 He’s happy to test out his device. 587 00:30:28,368 --> 00:30:30,908 He’s very proud of what he’s created. 588 00:30:31,038 --> 00:30:32,908 What he does not know is that Phalaris 589 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:34,710 is going to slam the door shut, 590 00:30:34,833 --> 00:30:37,093 trapping Perilaus in the brazen bull, 591 00:30:37,210 --> 00:30:39,590 and then having a fire lit underneath. 592 00:30:39,713 --> 00:30:41,383 Perilaus cannot escape, 593 00:30:41,506 --> 00:30:43,716 and he is forced to stay inside the bull, 594 00:30:43,842 --> 00:30:49,262 literally becoming the actual test subject of this torture device. 595 00:30:49,389 --> 00:30:52,729 Aaron Irvin: The death of Perilaus is kind of a standard trope 596 00:30:52,809 --> 00:30:56,149 in Greek tragedy, in Greek storytelling. 597 00:30:56,229 --> 00:30:58,519 You have the sociopath, the sicko, 598 00:30:58,607 --> 00:31:01,107 who creates the horrible, awful thing, 599 00:31:01,234 --> 00:31:03,534 and then of course becomes destroyed 600 00:31:03,612 --> 00:31:06,072 by the horrible, awful thing that he created. 601 00:31:10,577 --> 00:31:13,327 Narrator: Although the brazen bull is most closely associated 602 00:31:13,413 --> 00:31:15,253 with the Ancient Greeks... 603 00:31:16,958 --> 00:31:19,338 ...the Romans later borrow the invention 604 00:31:19,419 --> 00:31:22,379 to torture Christians in the second century, 605 00:31:22,464 --> 00:31:25,884 including a legendary Roman general 606 00:31:25,967 --> 00:31:29,847 who becomes known as St. Eustace. 607 00:31:29,930 --> 00:31:32,060 Eileen Joy: He’s hunting one day. 608 00:31:32,140 --> 00:31:35,770 He sees a stag that appears to have a kind of burning cross 609 00:31:35,894 --> 00:31:39,524 in between its antlers, 610 00:31:39,606 --> 00:31:42,026 and it’s a miracle. 611 00:31:42,109 --> 00:31:43,859 So he converts to Christianity, 612 00:31:43,944 --> 00:31:46,534 which doesn’t sit well with his neighbors, 613 00:31:46,613 --> 00:31:47,783 his boss, et cetera, 614 00:31:47,864 --> 00:31:50,494 so he has to go into hiding. 615 00:31:50,617 --> 00:31:53,907 Narrator: Exiled to Egypt, destitute and alone, 616 00:31:53,995 --> 00:31:57,705 Eustace clings to his faith. 617 00:31:57,791 --> 00:31:59,501 But 15 years later, 618 00:31:59,626 --> 00:32:02,456 he’s called back into battle for Rome. 619 00:32:05,132 --> 00:32:09,552 Eustace comes home because his country has asked for his help, 620 00:32:09,636 --> 00:32:12,216 and it’s the right thing to do. 621 00:32:12,305 --> 00:32:16,515 And he probably assumes it’s okay, you know, to be who he is. 622 00:32:16,643 --> 00:32:19,153 Then the new emperor, Hadrian, 623 00:32:19,271 --> 00:32:21,981 who basically hates him, says, you know, 624 00:32:22,107 --> 00:32:24,147 "I’m just going to insist on you converting 625 00:32:24,276 --> 00:32:27,646 back to Paganism or I’m going to kill you." 626 00:32:27,779 --> 00:32:29,989 Eustace refuses. 627 00:32:30,115 --> 00:32:31,705 And the first thing that happens 628 00:32:31,825 --> 00:32:33,585 is he and his family are fed to the lions. 629 00:32:35,996 --> 00:32:37,246 Narrator: According to the legend, 630 00:32:37,330 --> 00:32:39,330 the lions don’t harm the family. 631 00:32:39,416 --> 00:32:43,706 They instead bow at Eustace’s feet. 632 00:32:43,837 --> 00:32:47,087 Enraged, Emperor Hadrian sends them all 633 00:32:47,174 --> 00:32:49,014 to the Colosseum to be tortured 634 00:32:49,134 --> 00:32:52,894 inside the brazen bull. 635 00:32:53,013 --> 00:32:56,273 Aaron Irvin: The story goes, though, that after some time 636 00:32:56,349 --> 00:32:59,439 of complete and utter silence from the bull, 637 00:32:59,519 --> 00:33:01,689 it was opened up again and the body of Eustace 638 00:33:01,771 --> 00:33:04,771 was found completely intact. 639 00:33:04,858 --> 00:33:06,438 Eustace himself had died, 640 00:33:06,526 --> 00:33:09,236 but not even the hairs on his body had burned away. 641 00:33:09,362 --> 00:33:12,782 He was completely untouched by the incredible heat 642 00:33:12,866 --> 00:33:17,326 and flames that were designed to strip flesh from bones. 643 00:33:17,412 --> 00:33:19,792 This was seen as a miracle, 644 00:33:19,873 --> 00:33:21,753 and Eustace is even still honored today 645 00:33:21,875 --> 00:33:25,385 within the Catholic Church as a saint. 646 00:33:25,504 --> 00:33:28,424 Narrator: The brazen bull is a larger-than-life 647 00:33:28,548 --> 00:33:31,048 instrument of torture. 648 00:33:31,176 --> 00:33:34,796 But there’s one seemingly innocuous device 649 00:33:34,888 --> 00:33:36,808 that hides an excruciating 650 00:33:36,890 --> 00:33:40,600 and disturbing form of punishment. 651 00:33:40,727 --> 00:33:43,017 There’s an old French proverb that states 652 00:33:43,104 --> 00:33:46,824 to eat an anguished pear is to cause pain and misery. 653 00:33:46,900 --> 00:33:48,610 And this will be made true with the invention 654 00:33:48,735 --> 00:33:51,235 of a device called the pear of anguish. 655 00:33:51,363 --> 00:33:53,493 Now, this is quite an unassuming device. 656 00:33:53,573 --> 00:33:57,043 If you take a look at it, it’s almost quite beautiful. 657 00:33:57,118 --> 00:33:59,788 Larissa Tracy: The surviving examples of the pear of anguish 658 00:33:59,913 --> 00:34:01,253 are intricately worked. 659 00:34:01,373 --> 00:34:03,293 They are carved. They’re etched. 660 00:34:03,416 --> 00:34:04,746 The metal is filigreed. 661 00:34:04,876 --> 00:34:07,496 And so it’s almost impossible to imagine 662 00:34:07,587 --> 00:34:13,087 something that beautiful being used in any way for torture. 663 00:34:13,176 --> 00:34:16,256 Narrator: But looks can be deceiving. 664 00:34:16,346 --> 00:34:20,596 The pear-shaped machine is placed inside a part of the body. 665 00:34:20,725 --> 00:34:25,975 Then with the turn of a key, the metal petals expand. 666 00:34:26,106 --> 00:34:30,686 The pear of anguish was interpreted to be a device 667 00:34:30,777 --> 00:34:35,617 that would be inserted into the orifice of an offender 668 00:34:35,740 --> 00:34:39,700 based on the crime that they might have committed. 669 00:34:39,786 --> 00:34:44,166 Whether it was prostitution or blasphemy or adultery, 670 00:34:44,291 --> 00:34:48,291 it was a device that would specifically punish 671 00:34:48,420 --> 00:34:51,300 the part of the body that had been used 672 00:34:51,381 --> 00:34:53,421 in order to commit the crime. 673 00:34:53,508 --> 00:34:56,798 If it was used as a form of punishment for sodomy, 674 00:34:56,886 --> 00:34:59,466 then it was inserted into the rectum. 675 00:34:59,556 --> 00:35:02,096 And the idea is it would be opened up, 676 00:35:02,183 --> 00:35:04,103 and then it would stretch the muscles. 677 00:35:04,185 --> 00:35:07,895 If it was used as a form of punishment for blasphemers, 678 00:35:07,981 --> 00:35:10,321 then it was inserted in the mouth 679 00:35:10,442 --> 00:35:12,492 and it might break teeth. 680 00:35:12,611 --> 00:35:15,401 Now the idea of a torture device 681 00:35:15,488 --> 00:35:18,278 that was inserted in the mouth and left there 682 00:35:18,366 --> 00:35:19,826 has its origins in the Middle Ages 683 00:35:19,951 --> 00:35:22,581 with scold’s bridles, 684 00:35:22,662 --> 00:35:25,752 And these were almost helmet-like implements 685 00:35:25,832 --> 00:35:27,632 that had a tongue depressor. 686 00:35:27,709 --> 00:35:30,709 And they’d be fitted over the head of gossips, 687 00:35:30,837 --> 00:35:32,417 blasphemers. 688 00:35:32,505 --> 00:35:34,585 The metal piece is inserted into the mouth, 689 00:35:34,674 --> 00:35:36,094 and so they cannot speak. 690 00:35:36,176 --> 00:35:38,086 And that’s their punishment 691 00:35:38,178 --> 00:35:40,298 for having spoken too much. 692 00:35:40,388 --> 00:35:43,138 Jordan Wager: The fact that your jaw is opened so far, 693 00:35:43,224 --> 00:35:44,894 you’re going to cause a dislocated jaw, 694 00:35:45,018 --> 00:35:47,438 and the jaw is just stuck open. 695 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:48,860 It is very painful. 696 00:35:48,980 --> 00:35:51,150 Narrator: As the only known victim 697 00:35:51,232 --> 00:35:57,742 is about to discover. 698 00:35:57,864 --> 00:35:59,744 Narrator: It’s been described as the device 699 00:35:59,866 --> 00:36:03,736 that elevated torture into an art form. 700 00:36:03,870 --> 00:36:07,370 But the provocatively named pear of anguish 701 00:36:07,499 --> 00:36:10,209 is shrouded in mystery. 702 00:36:10,335 --> 00:36:12,305 We don’t know a whole lot 703 00:36:12,379 --> 00:36:15,419 about the origins of the pear of anguish. 704 00:36:15,548 --> 00:36:20,088 Some do say it was created in the later Middle Ages. 705 00:36:20,220 --> 00:36:22,220 Some believe it has something 706 00:36:22,305 --> 00:36:25,555 to do with the period of Inquisition in Europe, 707 00:36:25,684 --> 00:36:28,234 and in Spain especially. 708 00:36:28,353 --> 00:36:31,563 Among the catalog of instruments of torture 709 00:36:31,690 --> 00:36:33,360 associated with the Spanish Inquisition 710 00:36:33,441 --> 00:36:35,441 was the Pope’s Pear. 711 00:36:35,568 --> 00:36:38,948 There was rumored to be a pear that would fit 712 00:36:39,072 --> 00:36:40,662 the description of a pear of anguish 713 00:36:40,740 --> 00:36:43,370 that was used to extract confessions of heresy. 714 00:36:43,451 --> 00:36:46,791 And so, like many of the stories of the Spanish Inquisition, 715 00:36:46,913 --> 00:36:50,213 which compounds instrument of torture upon instrument of torture, 716 00:36:50,291 --> 00:36:53,631 the story of the pear of anguish may have its roots there. 717 00:36:53,753 --> 00:36:55,463 Narrator: There is, however, 718 00:36:55,588 --> 00:36:59,298 one written example of this depraved torture tool 719 00:36:59,426 --> 00:37:01,796 from a 17th century book. 720 00:37:01,928 --> 00:37:03,598 There is an account in "The History of Thieves" 721 00:37:03,722 --> 00:37:05,772 that describes a French thief, Palioly, 722 00:37:05,890 --> 00:37:09,270 who has a pear constructed, a metal implement, 723 00:37:09,394 --> 00:37:13,114 that was inserted into the mouth of his victims. 724 00:37:13,231 --> 00:37:15,781 And it would open, but it would lock in place. 725 00:37:15,900 --> 00:37:18,400 And it could only be released with a key. 726 00:37:18,486 --> 00:37:21,106 He inserts this pear into the mouth of one of his victims, 727 00:37:21,197 --> 00:37:24,987 Eridas, and he locks the pear in place. 728 00:37:25,118 --> 00:37:27,248 And Eridas nearly starves to death 729 00:37:27,328 --> 00:37:29,328 because he cannot get out of it. 730 00:37:29,456 --> 00:37:30,666 He does not have the key. 731 00:37:30,790 --> 00:37:32,830 Eileen Joy: The pear of anguish 732 00:37:32,959 --> 00:37:35,879 apparently was used by thieves to, 733 00:37:35,962 --> 00:37:38,462 in a sense, clam up people’s mouths 734 00:37:38,590 --> 00:37:40,590 so that they wouldn’t scream while being robbed. 735 00:37:40,675 --> 00:37:43,255 You see this today in every crime show 736 00:37:43,344 --> 00:37:45,434 where victims are either taped 737 00:37:45,513 --> 00:37:48,473 or something is stuffed in their mouths like a cloth, 738 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:50,520 which I have always thought has gotta be 739 00:37:50,643 --> 00:37:53,693 one of the worst things that could happen to you. 740 00:37:53,813 --> 00:37:57,113 Narrator: But with little else to go on, 741 00:37:57,192 --> 00:38:01,032 some historians question the pear’s true origin. 742 00:38:01,154 --> 00:38:05,834 That’s why so many of these stories appear later than the actual events, 743 00:38:05,909 --> 00:38:08,909 because there’s a desire to separate their society 744 00:38:08,995 --> 00:38:12,155 from the darker aspects of the Middle Ages. 745 00:38:12,290 --> 00:38:15,840 So these stories gain in grotesqueness. 746 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:21,050 They evolve into these unbelievable horrors 747 00:38:21,174 --> 00:38:24,094 of mechanized torture and punishment. 748 00:38:24,177 --> 00:38:26,887 And they are developed as a means of saying, 749 00:38:27,013 --> 00:38:30,183 "That’s not us. We don’t do that." 750 00:38:30,308 --> 00:38:32,688 Aaron Irvin: We can certainly call into question 751 00:38:32,811 --> 00:38:34,731 some of the devices that we see from the Middle Ages. 752 00:38:34,854 --> 00:38:37,064 Are these accurate representations 753 00:38:37,190 --> 00:38:38,940 of what torture devices were like? 754 00:38:39,025 --> 00:38:42,695 Was there really something like the iron maiden, 755 00:38:42,779 --> 00:38:44,739 like the pear of anguish? 756 00:38:44,864 --> 00:38:47,374 Michael Young: It’s possible that the pear of anguish 757 00:38:47,450 --> 00:38:52,120 is more a product of the Romantic literary imagination 758 00:38:52,205 --> 00:38:54,585 than a real device 759 00:38:54,707 --> 00:38:58,417 that existed in previous centuries. 760 00:38:58,545 --> 00:39:00,345 Larissa Tracy: The pear of anguish doesn’t appear 761 00:39:00,421 --> 00:39:02,381 in any medieval literary sources. 762 00:39:02,465 --> 00:39:05,465 There are no legal references to it. 763 00:39:05,552 --> 00:39:08,142 In all of the work I have done on torture 764 00:39:08,221 --> 00:39:10,391 and brutality in literary sources 765 00:39:10,515 --> 00:39:12,225 and in historical sources, 766 00:39:12,308 --> 00:39:14,938 I’ve never come upon a reference to the pear of anguish. 767 00:39:15,061 --> 00:39:17,771 And yet, it becomes a showpiece 768 00:39:17,897 --> 00:39:20,187 of so many museums of torture 769 00:39:20,275 --> 00:39:22,155 because it’s a fascinating object, 770 00:39:22,235 --> 00:39:25,205 very similar to the iron maiden. 771 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:27,410 Narrator: While the authenticity of some devices 772 00:39:27,490 --> 00:39:29,240 remains up for debate, 773 00:39:29,325 --> 00:39:32,285 there are plenty of real ones to point to, 774 00:39:32,412 --> 00:39:36,622 some of which combine a few gruesome methods. 775 00:39:36,749 --> 00:39:39,999 Rebecca Simon: Over the centuries, we’ve seen a hybrid development 776 00:39:40,086 --> 00:39:43,456 of various torture devices, such as the iron chair for example. 777 00:39:43,590 --> 00:39:47,550 The iron chair is similar to the iron maiden 778 00:39:47,635 --> 00:39:49,965 in that it is a chair that is made of spikes 779 00:39:50,096 --> 00:39:52,136 that the victim is forced to sit on, 780 00:39:52,265 --> 00:39:54,855 and then a fire is often lit underneath this chair, 781 00:39:54,934 --> 00:39:55,984 so it gets very hot. 782 00:39:56,102 --> 00:39:57,812 So not only are you basically 783 00:39:57,937 --> 00:39:59,977 getting stabbed to death, you can’t move 784 00:40:00,106 --> 00:40:02,226 because you are also getting burned to death. 785 00:40:02,317 --> 00:40:05,607 And this type of torture also harks back to the brazen bull. 786 00:40:05,737 --> 00:40:10,987 Narrator: Seeing these tools of torture feeds our morbid curiosity 787 00:40:11,117 --> 00:40:13,947 about the brutality of the distant past. 788 00:40:14,078 --> 00:40:18,248 Regardless though as to the specifics of the artifacts we have today, 789 00:40:18,333 --> 00:40:20,923 we have plenty of attestation 790 00:40:21,002 --> 00:40:23,462 that torture has been a constant 791 00:40:23,546 --> 00:40:26,336 throughout human history. 792 00:40:26,466 --> 00:40:29,796 Narrator: From antiquity to the modern day, 793 00:40:29,886 --> 00:40:32,346 cruel inventors have devised machines 794 00:40:32,472 --> 00:40:35,142 that unleash boundless capacity to inflict pain 795 00:40:35,266 --> 00:40:39,896 and suffering on those deemed deserving of such a fate, 796 00:40:39,979 --> 00:40:44,479 proving mankind’s creativity knows no bounds 797 00:40:44,567 --> 00:40:46,737 when it comes to torture.