Androcles and the Lion

Androcles was a Greek slave who spent his days caring for the very lions that his fellow slaves were thrown to please the sadistic whims of a tyrannical Emperor. Androcles' friend Lycopheus dreams of escaping to freedom, but Androcles is too frightened to try -- until one day when Androcles (with the advice of the god Hermes) decides to enter the cage of a sickly lion to try to help the poor creature. When the lion escapes, the chaos that follows allows Androcles and Lycopheus to escape. As they are pursued by soldiers into the forest, Lycopheus is bitten by a snake, and Androcles finds himself alone, facing the gaping jaws of the very lion that escaped. But instead of attacking Androcles, the beast collapses in his arms. Androcles discovers a huge thorn in its paw and removes it freeing the lion from his suffering. Soon after, Androcles is re-united with Lycopheus who is near death from the snakebite. To save his friend, Androcles must overcome his fears and learn to survive in the da