IZULAT Info: Scaphism The Horrifying Death Penalty

Throughout the history of humankind then and now death penalty or capital punishment or execution for a crime is always present and always horrible and terrifying one of these is “Scaphism”. It is the execution on Ancient Persia allegedly depicted and mentioned by Greek philosopher Plutarch in his writing Life of Artaxerxes.

Scaphism in other word means “The Boats” because the criminal is trapped on two boats with head, hands and feet outside and being fed with milk and honey as well as the criminal’s body is covered with it until it will induce diarrhea and attract insects and vermin that will swarm the criminal’s body and be eaten alive.

“Scaphism is a Persian execution technique consisted of trapping the victim in the space between two small boats or two hollowed-out tree trunks. The helpless sufferer would be tied inside the space between the boats in such a way that the head, hands, and feet remained outside.

A mixture of honey and milk was force-fed to the condemned person until it led to diarrhea. After that, the victim would be forced to vomit, spreading the mixture all over their face, chest and legs. The person would then be left out in the sun or taken to a water reservoir or swamp.

Within a few hours, swarms of insects would be gathered around the them, settling in dense clouds around their face and stinging their eyes, nose, and mouth. As well as flies and rats would show up and start attacking them, eating the vomited mixture of milk and honey.

To make things worse, additional honey and milk were splashed onto the soft parts of their body, particularly the anus and genitals. Other insects would begin to bite at these soft parts, carrying with them bacteria from the feces. Predictably, these bites would get infected.

After a few days, these wounds would begin to weep pus, adding another layer of attraction to other insects, breeding maggots in their body. Those maggots would start eating the flesh, carrying more disease into the person’s body.” (News Tangail 24)