The mane event: Key evidence the Roman Empire used lions for executions
A bronze key handle from the Roman period was discovered in Britain depicting a 'barbarian' man fighting a lion.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF , AUGUST 13, 2021
This page was posted by Sputnik One of the Sputniks Orbit blog
Upper piece of the key handle discovered at Leicester, (photo credit: ULAS)
An archaeological artifact discovered in Leicester, Britain may be evidence that the ancient Roman empire used lions to kill their captives.
The discovery, which was published in Britannia,
was a bronze key handle that depicted a man locked in combat with a
lion. Another piece of the same handle depicted four naked youths
watching, which indicates that the scene may be a public execution.
The
man battling the lion has long hair, a bushy beard and no shirt, which
could mean that he is a barbarian. The scene would be a symbol of the
futility of opposition against the Roman Empire.
"When
first found, it appeared as an indistinguishable bronze object, but
after we carefully cleaned off the soil, remarkably, we revealed several
small faces looking back at us," said Dr Gavin Speed, an archaeologist
and co-author of the article.
Thrown to the Lions? New evidence reveals lions were used during executions in Roman Britain, Aug 9, 2021
"Nothing quite like this has been discovered anywhere in the Roman Empire before."
"It illuminates the brutal character of the Roman authority in this province," added Dr. John Pearce, another co-author.
There
are many documented cases in the Colosseum of criminals and prisoners
of war being thrown to wild beasts as a form of execution, but this is
the first evidence of such a practice spreading as far as Britain.
The lions would have been imported from North Africa and Mesopotamia.
"That
was slightly worse than being condemned to the mines, which is the
other way that prisoners often met their end," Said Nicholas Cooper, an
archaeologist and the articles third author.
The key handle is believed to have been made around 200 AD and is set to go on display at the Jewry Wall Museum in 2023.
Please Recommend this page and follow us at:
No comments:
Post a Comment