Brazen Bull
Preserved but no longer current.
Perillos of Athens made a brazen bull for Phalaris, Tyrant of Agrigentum, intended for the execution of criminals, who were shut up m the bull, fires being lighted below the belly. Phalaris admired the in- vention, and tested it on Perillos himself, who was the first person baked to death in the horrible monster.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Brazen Bull” mean?
Perillos of Athens made a brazen bull for Phalaris, Tyrant of Agrigentum, intended for the execution of criminals, who were shut up m the bull, fires being lighted below the belly. Phalaris admired the in- vention, and tested it on Perillos himself, who was the first person baked to death in the horrible monster.
Is “Brazen Bull” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.