5 Extinct Animals and Plants Used by the Ancient Romans and Greeks

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The Barbary lion was not just any lion; it was the most powerful and magnificent of its kind—thicker mane, a deeper golden coat, and a presence that commanded respect. It was a creature of immense power, the king of North Africa's landscapes

But how did such a magnificent creature vanish from our world by the early 20th century? The reasons are many—hunting, habitat loss, disease—but the most significant chapter of its tragic tale takes us back thousands of years to the heart of the Roman Empire and the famed Colosseum.

Here, the Barbary lion became a symbol of power and brutality. The Romans' thirst for bloodshed led to a sinister form of execution known as 'damnatio ad bestias'—a cruel sentence where the condemned met their end in the jaws of beasts.

For the plebeians, the everyday people of Rome, 'damnatio ad bestias' wasn't just a punishment—it was a grand performance, part of the larger Roman category of blood sports known as the Bestiarii, which began as early as the 2nd century BC.

And the star of this dark show? The majestic Barbary Lion...