The Lone Hunter Reliefs of Nineveh

Lions were a constant menace for the people of assyria. They would often roam down from the hills and take away livestock. This letter written by a panicking servant to his master shows how prevalent this danger could be. Although they threw him a dog and a pig, he refused to eat them. I was worrying. Heaven forbid that this lion pine away. But eventually i got the lion into a wooden cage and loaded it on a boat to have it brought to my lord. The lions are slightly smaller than their african counterparts, with a much shorter mane and a distinctive fold of skin running down their bellies.