168 PLEISTOCENE MAMMALIA. 
the former existence of the animal in the Peloponnesus before the dawn of history from 
the following incidental notices that have been woven into the myths : 
“«The Nemean Lion inhabited a cave with two mouths on Mount Treton, between 
Mycenz and Nemea. Its destruction was one of the twelve labours of Hercules (Paus. 
ii, 15, 2; Apollod. ii, 5, 1; Diod. iv, 11), who is related to have accomplished this feat 
by the unaided strength of his arms, and without the aid of any weapon (Hur. Herc. Fur. 
15,3; Noom. xxv, 176). Admetus, King of Pherae, loved Alcestis, the daughter of 
Pelias ; her father promised to give her to the man who should harness Lions and Wild 
Boars to the same chariot. Apollo enabled Admetus to fulfil this condition, and Admetus 
married Alcestis (Apollod. i, 9, 15). Adrastus, King of Argos, in obedience to an oracle 
which ordered him to marry his daughters to a Wild Boar and a Lion, gave Deipyle to 
Tydeus, and Argea to Polynices, because they bore respectively the images of those 
animals on their shields.’* 
The Roman writer Atlian was probably right in his supposition that the Lion had 
been expelled from the Peloponnesus before the days of Homer.’ 
We have already seen that the existence of the Lions has been proved historically in 
Thrace, Macedonia, and Thessaly. It is attested also by the voice of tradition. King 
Caranus,? the mythical founder of the Macedonian dynasty, is reported to have celebrated 
his victory over Ciseus, a neighbouring king, by a trophy that was overturned by a Lion 
that descended from Mount Olympus ; and therefore, according to Pausanias, the Mace- 
donians, deterred by the omen, never erected trophies afterwards. Lysimachus also, 
according to the same author,* a Macedonian, and one of Alexander’s body-guards, was 
thrown into a Lion’s den by the command of his master, and conquered the beast. Poly- 
damus’ also, the athlete, killed a great and strong Lion, without arms of any kind, on 
Mount Olympus. A Lioness, sent by Diana,’ killed Phayllus, the tyrant of Ambracia, and 
therefore was reverenced by the Ambraciots as their deliverer. It is worthy of note that 
Ambracia lies to the west of the River Acheloiis, and outside the boundary laid down by 
Herodotus. 
l «Notes and Queries,’ vol. ix, p. 57. 
2 Milian, ‘De Nat. Anim.,’ Schneider, lib. iii, cap. i, 27. 
3 Pausanias, lib. ix, cap. xl, 4. 4 Pausanias, lib. i, cap. ix, 5: 
‘O d Avainaxoc ovroe yévog Te tv Maxedwr, kat “Ayetavepou Copipopoc’ ov “AXdéEavopdc tore 
um opyi¢g Agovte 6u0W KabeipZac é¢ olknua KeKpaTynKoTa EvpE TOU Onpiov. 
> Pausanias, lib. vi, cap. v, 3. 
Ovror rodakig of AgovTEc Kal é¢ THY TEpt TOV ”"OAvpTOV TAAV@VTAL Ywpay" TobTOV SE TOU dpoUE 
7 piv é¢ Maxedoviay mAEvpa, 1) 02 ét OeaodAove Kal Tov ToTapoy TétpaTrat TOV IInviiov. >EvravOa 
6 TovAtidapac Aéovta év Ty” Ob ur péyav Kal aAkimov Oipiov KaTepydoaro ovdevt EokEvaoMEVOS 
b7Ay. 
6 Alian, ‘De Nat. Anim.,’ Schneider, lib. xii, cap. xl: 
"Apurpaxiwrat 02, eet tov Tépavvoy a’t@v Paiddov dueowacaro Aéawwa, Tyner TO Cov alriov 
avrotc tAevOepiag yeyevvhmevor. 
