Museum Explorer
Birds and beasts in Ancient Greece
Colossal lion
From: Knidos, south-west Asia Minor (Turkey)
Date: about 350-200 BC
This lion weighs six tons and is carved from one huge piece of marble. Lions have always been a symbol of leadership, and this one was made to sit on the top of the tomb or monument of someone extremely important, although we don't know exactly who they were.
The tomb was on a headland with a sheer cliff underneath falling 60 metres to the sea. The lion's eyes were originally set with coloured glass, and the light reflecting in them may have helped sailors keep away from the rocky coast.
