6. Mithridates
Mithridates was a young soldier in the Persian army under the king Artaxerxes, who accidentally killed Cyrus the Younger, a rebel claimant to the throne. Mithridates was given lavish presents by Artaxerxes, as the death of Cyrus secured his position as a king. However, Artaxerxes wanted his subjects to think it was he who rode into the battle and slain Cyrus. So, he asked Mithridates to spread an alternate version of the story. But, unfortunately not realizing that he was setting up his own undoing, Mithridates boasted in a banquet that he killed Cyrus. Enraged, the king ordered Mithridates to be subjected to insect torture (scaphism) and he died 17 days later.