10 Weirdest Deaths In History
3. Draco Of Athens
You've heard of being smothered with praise and affection, right? That's usually nothing more than a cute euphemism, not to be taken literally in the slightest. But at one time in history, this expression was very much literal, and very much deadly. Cut to: Greece, 620 BCE.
The main character of this tale is Draco, originator of the word "draconian." The Draconian constitution was the first written constitution of Athens, and it SUCKED. The laws were oppressive, and the punishments were disproportionately harsh. Death was the customary retaliation for pretty much any offense, no matter how minor. Even the meager theft of cabbage ended in the offender being put to death. One exception was if you were a debtor, in which case you'd be sold into slavery.
After being driven out of Athens (gee, I wonder why), he found himself on the island of Aegina. According to the 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia known as the Suda, Draco was orating at the Aeginetan theatre, when - in a supposedly traditional display of support and adoration - his supporters showered him with shirts, hats, and cloaks, so much so that he suffocated under the weight of them.
It's almost poetic, really. A man whose laws were oppressive and smothering was smothered by the oppressive force of his constituents. It's fun.