The Roman Emperor Who Had Molten Gold Poured Down His Throat

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Published 2021-07-16

Death by molten gold isn’t just a grisly Game of Thrones invention. In the third century, a Roman emperor named Valerian is alleged to have died when his rival poured liquid gold down his throat. Valerian’s gruesome death was nearly as bad as the horrific executions in Henry VIII’s time, and that's really saying something. Unfortunately for Valerian, his execution was only one part of his humiliating captivity in the hands of the Persians. That is, if we're to believe the account of Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius, an early Christian author who was no fan of Valerian's.

#EmperorValerian #AncientRome #WeirdHistory

All Comments (21)

@zugdarr 2 years ago

No matter what you see in movies or on HBO, Roman and Persian executions take cruelty to another level.
@talliaconner-flores5763 2 years ago

Wow, I thought this was going to be about Crassus. If I had a nickel for every time a Roman leader had gold poured down their throat... I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but weird that it happened twice.
@briannaaaron6804 2 years ago

It's crazy that out of all the possible ways Valerian died, simply being executed on the spot is the least brutal. 😬
@Prince-oq2hu 2 years ago

Holy crap that's metal I'll see myself out
@billgatesfanclub 2 years ago

So curious what the gold looked like after it cooled. Most horrific mold I've ever hear of as a jeweler 🥺
@blampfno 2 years ago

There's a cool book called 'Iron, Fire and Ice: The Real History that Inspired Game of Thrones'. If you enjoyed this video you'll probably love that book. I didn't write it or anything, just passing it along.
@definitelynotlucas4901 2 years ago

Shaipur:I want my footstool to sing with a golden voice Valerian:You are going to teach me how to sing right? Shaipur:.... Valerian:Youa re going to teach me how to sing right....
@abdulqudz89 2 years ago

having molten gold poured down your throat is very brutal. it can actually be on par with being roasted alive in the brazen bull.
@emperoromulus3054 2 years ago

So this is where GRRM found the idea for Viserys Targaryen's brutal demise.
@sforza209 2 years ago

Hey Weird History, you should do a video on how ancient peoples insulted each other! That would be super funny to see what they thought was insulting to say to other people! They prob had the weirdest insults! Hahaha
@flyingbear00 2 years ago

6:24 dude looks really chill for someone who’s being flayed alive
@DD-ye9bb 2 years ago

I wonder what happened to that gold? Did they reclaim and remelt it? Imagine 2000 years later, your grandparents have a coin that's been down a emperor throat wow!
@Cameroonian 2 years ago

"Let's look at the Roman emperor who MIGHT have died by having molten gold poured down his throat."
@adrianaserratos2515 2 years ago

My favorite subject in school was history, but this channel is on another level 👌👍
@JohnnyWindmill 2 years ago

Didn’t Crassus also get Molten gold poured down his throat?
@blackbutterfly4739 2 years ago

That guy puts rappers to shame ...forget gold chains and teeth .....this fool had a gold throat 👑👑👑🤣🤣🤣
@lemonpesto3459 2 years ago

Never ceases to horrify me how cruel humans can be.
@luizhp 2 years ago

When the reality is more fantastic than fantasy, Martin has a huge playground to craft his work.
@trish8399 2 years ago

Omg, molten gold down the throat sounds horrific, and compared to being flayed alive, molten gold down the throat seems almost merciful.
@beoweasel 2 years ago

I think the other reason why molten lead would have been used over gold, isn't just the cost, but also the heat requirement. Despite it's softness, Gold has a pretty high melting point, nearly comparable to copper at 1900 Fahrenheit (this is also why the scene in Game of Thrones wouldn't really work, as a mere cooking fire wouldn't be able to get hot enough to melt the golden necklace that Drogo throws into the pot).