Statue of a seated lion

The lion exerted a powerful influence on the Greek imagination. Although several ancient authors suggest that lions lived in the mountains of northern Greece in antiquity, these exotic animals were known to the Greeks primarily through images and tales imported from North Africa and the Near East. Nevertheless, artists of the Archaic period regularly represented lions in a variety of contexts-on the pediments of temples and, especially, as guardians at tombs. Their feline ferocity was believed to ward off evil and caution transgressors.The body of this majestic lion, said to have been found at Perachora, near the Isthmus of Corinth, ac-centuates bulging muscles and taut ribs. A twist of the massive neck rotates the head into frontal view, empha-sizing the gaping mouth, open as if in a roar. As commonly found in Archaic Greek art, ornamental patterns overlie the lifelike anatomical structure: controlled lines define the flame-like locks of hair in the mane, and the fringe of hair on the rear legs has been transformed into an elegant braid. Polychrome paint would have accentuated these decorative flourishes.