Heracles Fighting the Lion

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This sculpture of Heracles and a lion fragment depicts labours of Heracles from a Roman sarcophagus dating back to the 2nd-3rd century. Sarcophagi are box-like receptacles for corpses, typically carved in stone and displayed above ground, though sometimes buried. The Nemean lion was a ferocious monster in Greek mythology living at Nemea. It was eventually killed by Heracles. Mortal weapons couldn't harm its golden fur, nor could any armor withstand its razor-sharp claws. Today, lions are not found in Greece or Europe. However, according to Herodotus, lion populations existed in Ancient Greece until around 100 BC when they became extinct. The lion is often considered the offspring of Typhon and Echidna; it also fell from the moon as Zeus and Selene's child, or alternatively born of the Chimera. The Nemean lion was sent to terrorize Nemea in the Peloponnesus.