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A Translation The slave of a man of consular rank had been brought in amongst several others that had been given for a wild beast fight. Androclus was the name of that slave. When that lion saw him from a distance suddenly, as if surprised, it stood still, and then slowly and calmly, as if recognising him, it approached the man. Then it moved its tail gently and coaxingly in the usual manner of adoring dogs and it attached itself to the man’s body and, with its tongue, gently licked the legs and hands of the man, who was now almost out of his mind with fear. The man, Androclus, amidst the fawning of such a fierce wild animal, recovered his lost senses, and gradually turned his eyes to look at the lion. Then you could see the man and the lion, as if recognising each other, happily sharing their joy. Androclus was summoned by the emperor and the reason was asked why the fiercest lion had spared him alone. Then Androclus told a remarkably amazing story. He said, “When my master held the province of Africa with proconsular power, I was forced to flight by his daily unfair beatings; and so that my hiding place would be safer from my master, I went away to the isolated areas of the plains and deserts, and if food was not available, it was my plan to seek death, somehow or another. Then, when the sun was at its height, blazing hot, I came upon a remote, well hidden cave, and I went into it and hid. And not long after to the same cave came this lion, lame and covered in blood in one paw, uttering whimpers and wails and seeking pity for the painful torture of its wound. After the lion entered what in fact turned out to be its own den, it saw me hiding away in a corner, it approached me gently and tamely and seemed to show me its raised paw and to hold it out as if asking for help. Then I pulled out a huge thorn sticking into the pad of its paw, and I squeezed out the pus that had collected deep in the wound, and now without great fear I dried it carefully and thoroughly and wiped away the blood. Now relieved by the effort of my treatment, with its foot placed in my hands, it lay down and rested; and from that day for a whole three year period the lion and I lived in the same cave and on the same food. For it used to bring to the cave for me the best joints of the wild animals it hunted which I, not having fire, used to eat baking in the midday sun. But when I was tired of that wild life, once the lion had set out hunting, I left the cave and, after covering a journey of almost three days, I was seen and arrested by soldiers and taken from Africa to my master in Rome. He immediately had me condemned to death and given to the wild beasts. But I realise that this lion, also captured after I was separated from him as described, is now giving me thanks for my kindness and medical treatment. Afterwards we saw Androclus and the lion, tied by a fine lead, going round the inns in the entire city, and we saw Androclus being presented with money and the lion being showered with flowers, and all those who met them all over the place said, “This is the lion, the friend of the man. This is the man, the doctor of the lion.” |