BOOK VIII. XXI. 54-56 



creature's great ferocity abating in an almost in- 

 credible manner vvhen its head is covered vvith even 

 a hght vvrap, vvith the result that it is vanquished 

 vvithout shovving fight. The fact is that all its strength 

 is concentrated in its eyes, vvhich makes it less 

 remarkable that vvhen Lysimachus by order of 

 Alexander vvas shut up in a hon's cage he succeeded 

 in strangling it. Mark Antony broke Hons to the 

 yoke and vvas the first person at Rome to harness 

 them to a chariot, and this in fact during the civil 

 vvar, after the decisive battle " in the plains of Phar- 

 salia, not vvithout some intention of exhibiting the 

 position of aifairs, the portentous feat signifying that 

 generous spirits can bovv to a yoke. For his riding 

 in this fashion vvith the actress Cytheris at his side 

 vvas a thing that outdid even the portentous occur- 

 rences of that disastrous period. It is recorded that 

 Hanno, one of the most distinguished of the Cartha- 

 ginians, vvas the first human being vvlio dared to 

 handle a hon and exhibit it as tamed, and that this 

 suppHed a reason for his impeachment, because it 

 vvas felt that a man of such an artful character 

 niight persuade the pubUc to anything, and that 

 their Uberty vvas iU entrusted to one to vvhom even 

 ferocity had so completely submitted. 



But there are also instances of occasional merciful- Their 

 ness even in Uons. The Syracusan Mentor in Syria ^'^'^"'"^'^ 

 met a Uon that roUed on the ground in suppUant mMude. 

 vvise and struck such terror into him that he vvas 

 running avvay, vvhen the Uon stood in his vvay vvherever 

 he turned, and Ucked liis footsteps as if favvning 

 on him ; he noticed a svveUing and a vvound in its 

 foot, and by puUing out a thorn set the creature 

 free from torment : a picture at Syracuse is evidence 



43 



