10 most brutal execution methods of ancient civilization – You need to see #1 (With Pictures)

8. Breaking Wheel

The breaking wheel, also known as the ‘Catherine wheel’, was a torture device used for capital punishment. It was used during the Middle Ages and was still in use in the 19th century. It originated in Ancient Greece and from there spread through other countries such as France, Russia, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Sweden. A wooden wheel was used to stretch the victim out, with their limbs extended along its many spokes. Then a hammer or a large iron bar was applied to the limb through the gap to break all its bones. This process usually took a very long time. Usually a person would be left alive with every limb in his or her body, broken.