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5 Weirdest Deaths in History
No one could have predicted these deaths
Death is an unavoidable part of the human condition. Regardless of where you live or how wealthy you are, your life will eventually come to an end. Most of us pray for a clean and painless death in our elderly years.
But death comes in many forms, and throughout human history, plenty of people have died in unusual ways. Though there’s no consensus when it comes to the weirdest deaths of all time, the following individuals all died in extraordinary circumstances.
1. Zeuxis
Zeuxis was a Greek painter who lived and worked in the fifth century BC. He studied under the guidance of Apollodorus before gaining a reputation for his innovative, illusionary style and novel subject matter.
Thanks to his commercial success, he spent much of his later years in the ancient city of Ephesus, where he enjoyed a lavish lifestyle full of luxury. But Zeuxis’s pleasurable pursuits soon came to an abrupt end.
According to ancient sources, an old woman asked Zeuxis to paint a picture of the goddess Aphrodite. But the old woman also insisted on being the model for the painting.
When Zeuxis had finished his work, he started laughing hysterically. It’s unclear why he found his painting so amusing. But before long, Zeuxis started to choke. The lack of oxygen soon became serious, and he ultimately died of asphyxiation.
Though multiple sources describe Zeuxis’s death in this way, some historians believe the truth could have been exaggerated.
2. The Dancing People of Strasbourg
In July 1518, the city of Strasbourg (which is in eastern France) witnessed one of the strangest events in history.
The incident began when a woman started dancing uncontrollably in the street. Within weeks, other people who lived in Strasbourg were…
