Roman mosaic from Colonia Aelia Augusta Itálica shows a lion. Dated to the 2nd-3rd century CE.
The Greek historian Polybius mentions that when he participated with Scipio Africanus in conquering (in 146 BCE) Carthage saw lions crucified. As it turned out, such decisions were made by the Romans.
Back then, the lion population was extremely high in North Africa. To make matters worse, the animals began to attack people much more often. Hence, the Romans decided that the crucifixion of “man-eater” animals would scare away other individuals.
Sources
- Roger French, Ancient Natural History: Histories of Nature
