Androcles

Androcles, or Androclus, a slave, the hero of a somewhat mythical story, which says that, escaping from his master, he took refuge in a cave, where he met a lion, and extracted a thorn from the animal's foot. He was afterwards captured and thrown into the arena at Rome as a prey to the wild beasts. The particular lion that was to devour him turned out to be his old acquaintance. Instead of bloodshed there ensued mutual caresses, and Androcles was set free. Aulus Gellius is our only authority for this story.