6 horrible tortures inflicted on early Christians

Choosing a religion and assuming it publicly has had more implications than anyone can imagine.

Early Christians, for example, faced persecution and death for their beliefs. Many were tortured, like Jesus' disciples, who suffered the same punishment and were crucified.

Here are 6 other methods that were used in the Middle Ages:

1. To be baked

Better known for his death than for his living ministry, St. Lawrence served in Rome during the persecution of Christians. Following the beheading of Pope Sixtus II, the Roman Emperor Valerian demanded that the Church surrender her wealth to the state. St. Lawrence led the poor faithful to the Emperor, saying that tithing was divided between them.

As punishment, he was placed on a grill and burned alive by a burning brazier. According to Catholic tradition, while the saint burned, he would have said "you can turn me now, because this side is already well baked."

2. Be dragged

Mark founded the Christian Church in Alexandria and preached to the masses, stating that they should give up their Egyptian gods and goddesses. It is not known how many people he was able to convert before an angry mob tied him to a rope and dragged him for two days. Even after his death, the body was kept being carried until his bones were exposed.

3. Have the skin removed

Having the skin removed caused such unbearable pain that the victims could inevitably faint during the process. To avoid this, they were hung upside down so that the excess blood flow in their brains made them aware.

Because it was difficult to do, the torturers cut the skins into strips with the help of a knife, unless the aim was to get a "trophy" (the whole skin). This is how Bartholomew, one of the 12 apostles, died.

4. Being destroyed by dogs

Unsurprisingly, Nero had a sadistic taste for torture. In one of them, the punisher was sewn into wild animal skins and thrown to the hungry dogs that destroyed the victims.

5. Have the bowels eaten by pigs

Around the year 363, a shocking punishment was used: the victim was dragged, his belly opened and filled with corn kernels. Then pigs were left in place to eat the grains and bowels of the accused.

6. Catherine Wheel

Known as the "Catherine Wheel" or "Shattering Wheel, " this was a terribly painful method in which the victim was tied to a wooden circle. The torturer then used a sledgehammer or hammer to break the defendant's various bones. The victim was left in these conditions to die, which could take up to three days.

* Originally posted on 23/02/2016.