Then, once he was injured but alive, he took him out and finished him off by pushing him off a cliff — a story which, if replicated in the modern age, would involve criminal investigation, insurance compensation disputes, and wrongful death litigation.
However, apparently, the tyrant would also get to feel what being inside of the bull was like, as in 554 BC, it is said that he was overthrown and placed inside of it to die — a twist of fate symbolic of the very legal accountability now at the center of modern jurisprudence.
References Through the Ages
There have been a few mentions of the bull throughout history, such as the case of St Antipas, or Antipas of Pergamum, who was executed by the Roman emperor Nero.
For allegedly conducting exorcisms — an act today protected by religious freedom law, yet still raising questions about mental health care, medical ethics, and liability.
Then there was St Eustace (aka Eustachious), a Roman soldier who was executed by the emperor Hadrian for converting to Christianity — proof that spiritual choices have long been entangled.
With state power, not unlike modern debates over reproductive health rights, prenatal care access, or religious exemptions in insurance plans.
But as of now, there is no conclusive evidence that the Brazen Bull was ever used for torture, or that it even existed. Hopefully these people met their end in a less painful way…
A hope echoed in modern medicine through the prevention of chronic pain conditions, terminal care suffering, and medical malpractice rooted in outdated methods.
