Androclus

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Androclus, a Roman slave, who lived about the time of Tiberius, is the hero of a story told by Aulus Gellius. According to the tale, Androclus had taken refuge from the cruelties of his master in a cave in Africa. A lion entered the cave and showed Androclus his swollen paw. Upon examination, Androclus found, and extracted, a large thorn, and dressed the wound.

The grateful animal subsequently recognized Androclus when he had been captured and thrown to the wild beasts in the circus, and, instead of attacking him, began to caress him (Aelian, De Nat. An. vii. 48).

Note: this is not the Androcles who bore false witness against against Alcibiades in order to get Alcibiades convicted of mutilating the hermae/hermai statues of Athens; a conviction that got Alcibiades a death sentence which was eventually quashed years later.

See also: Androcles and the Lion

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.