Roman Britain: Did Officials Throw Prisoners To The Lions? Bronze 'Key' Handle, 1st Discovery

[appalachiablue]

- Thrown to the Lions? New evidence reveals lions were used during executions in Roman Britain.
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- 'Did Officials in Roman Britain Throw Condemned Prisoners to the Lions?' A key handle unearthed in Leicester suggests executions in imperial colonies involved wild animals. Smithsonian Magazine, Aug. 12, 2021.

Archaeologists in Leicester, England, say a bronze key handle depicting a lion fighting a man may reflect real executions that took place in Britain under Roman rule. “This unique object gives us our most detailed representation of this form of execution found in Roman Britain,” says John Pearce, an archaeologist at King’s College London, in a statement. “As the first discovery of this kind it illuminates the brutal character of Roman authority in this province.”

Pearce and two colleagues published their analysis of the artifact in the journal Britannia this week. Researchers from the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) found the object, which measures more than four inches long, while excavating a Roman town house in 2017, reports BBC News. They dated it to around 200 C.E. The dig also uncovered Roman streets, mosaic floors and a theater.

“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, it was absolutely astounding,” says co-author Gavin Speed, who led the excavations for ULAS, in the statement. “Nothing quite like this has been discovered anywhere in the Roman Empire before.”

The handle depicts a man fighting a smaller-than-life lion. Below the fight, four naked youths huddle in fear. The man’s appearance—shirtless, with long hair and a big beard—is suggestive of a “barbarian,” or someone not of Roman origin, writes Sarah Cascone for Artnet News...

More,
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/artifact-suggests-romans-may-have-used-lions-public-executions-britain-180978422/



- The key handle depicts a "barbarian" fending off a lion as 4 young onlookers watch in horror.

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. Wouldn't Romans have kept records?

They loved to keep score....amIrite?

[appalachiablue]

2. Probaby, they were very into administering

their large Empire. But the Nazis- the ultra pros of record keeping..

[OAITW r.2.0]

3. Interesting thought....for me.

Italy was Hitler's political/social utopia.

In his delusional mind. The Moose was all in.

[appalachiablue]

5. Adolph totally modelled himself on Moose

until Il Duce and Italy went downhill and Germany had to take him in. Hitler lost respect. He had favored Latin Europe/Italy due to their art.

[OAITW r.2.0]

6. More research needed...

Who came 1st, Moose or Adolph?

[appalachiablue]

8. Benito rose in 1922 with his 'March on Rome'

Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 1883 – 28 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 1943, and "Duce" of Italian Fascism from the establishment of the Italian Fasces of Combat in 1919 until his execution in 1945 by Italian partisans.

As dictator of Italy and founder of fascism, Mussolini inspired and supported the international spread of fascist movements during the inter-war period...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benito_Mussolini

[Karadeniz]

4. This seems like slim evidence for the claim made.

[appalachiablue]

7. I wondered until watching the brief video

which has more info. and close ups of the key handle. I don't think such an item would have been crafted, esp. for a key to a wealthy house without some basis in fact.

The 'barbarian's' face of terror with the lion roaring beside him and the crouching, younger figures added to the possibility. Experts know depictions of ancient myths and this isn't Roman mythology.