2/0 PLINY'S NATTJBAL HISTOET. [Book VIII. 



CHAP. 21. WONDERFUL TEATS PERFORMED BY LIONS. 



It was formerly a very difficult matter to catch the lion, and 

 it was mostly done by means of pit-falls. In the reign, how- 

 ever, of the Emperor Claudius, accident disclosed a method 

 which appears almost disgraceful to the name of such an 

 animal ; a Gsetulian shepherd stopped a lion, that was rushing 

 furiously upon him, by merely throwing his cloak 9 over the 

 animal ; a circumstance which afterwards afforded an exhibition 

 in the arena of the Circus, when the frantic fury of the animal 

 was paralyzed in a manner almost incredible by a light covering 

 being thrown over its head, so much so, that it was put into 

 chains without the least resistance; we must conclude, therefore; 

 that all its strength lies in its eyes. This circumstance renders 

 what was done by Lysimachus 10 less wonderful, who strangled 

 a lion, with which he had been shut up by command of Alex- 

 ander. 11 



Antony subjected lions to the yoke, and was the first at 

 Eome to harness them to his chariot ; 12 and this during the 

 civil war, after the battle on the plains of Pharsalia ; not, 

 indeed, without a kind of ominous presage, a prodigy that 

 foretold at the time how that generous spirits were about to be 

 subdued. But to have himself drawn along in this man- 

 ner, in company with the actress Cytheris, 13 was a thing that 



s " Sagum." This was the cloak worn by the Roman soldiers and in- 

 ferior officers, in contradistinction to the " paludamentum " of the general 

 and superior officers. It was open in the front, and usually, though not 

 always, fastened across the shoulders by a clasp. It was thick, and made 

 of wool. 



10 This story is given also by Plutarch, in the life of Demetrius. Lysi- 

 machus was a Macedonian by birth, but son of Agathocles, a serf of Thes- 

 saly. Through his great courage, he became one of the body-guard of 

 Alexander. Quintus Curtius tells us that, when hunting in Syria, he 

 killed a lion of immense size single-handed, though not without receiving 

 severe wounds in the contest. The same author looks upon this as the 

 probable origin of the story here referred to by Pliny. 



11 This is mentioned by many ancient authors ; by Plutarch, Pausanias, 

 Seneca, Justin, and by Quintus Curtius, who thinks that the account usually 

 given is fabulous. B. 



12 Related by Plutarch, as among the acts of extravagance and folly, 

 committed by Antony, which gave much disgust to the grave and respect- 

 able citizens of Rome. B. 



13 A famous courtezan of the time of Cicero ; being originally the freed- 



