prehistoric mound of Thermi, Thessaloniki

Atlas11, on March 30, 2009, said:

'As they were marching through these regions, every night lions used to descent from their usual hunting grounds and attack the camels in their baggage train. They did not harm anything else, men or animals, but savaged only the camels. I wonder what made the lions ignore everything else and attack only the camels, since this creature was totally unfamiliar to them, one they had never seen or come across before. There are large numbers of lions in these parts, and also wild oxen, whose enormous horns are brought to Greece. The lions' territory is bordered by the rivers Nestos, which flows through Abdera, and Acheloos, which flows through Acarnania. No lions are found anywhere in Europe east of the Nestos or the rest of the continent west of Acheloos; they are only found in the area between these two rivers. After reaching Therma, Xerxes and his troops camped there.' From Herodotos' The Histories. Melpomene. Book 7:125-6.